Chelsea vs Inter Milan – Club Friendlies – Preview, Team News and Updates

2024-08-10 ScoreWaves Staff

Chelsea are ramping up their preseason activities, with the Premier League season less than a week away. They face Italian champions Inter Milan in their final preseason game at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have endured an underwhelming preseason so far, but they will look to end it on a high. So far, they’ve faced Wrexham, Celtic, Club America, and Manchester City. Out of these four matches, they’ve only managed to secure one win—a 3-0 victory over Club America. The less-than-stellar preseason form has left many Chelsea fans worried. However, a strong performance against Inter could ease those concerns, at least for now.

Chelsea vs Inter Milan – Match Preview

The Chelsea head coaching job comes with a lot of pressure to succeed. The Blues' new owners, Clear Lake Capital, have already fired four head coaches in a span of two seasons. Such decisions have puzzled most Chelsea fans, as they believe that their beloved club does not have any sense of direction under the ownership of Todd Boehly. In just four transfer windows, the Blues have signed upwards of one-billion euros worth of talent. Such spending is not sustainable, and problems have started to arise.

To balance the books, Chelsea has had to sell off promising academy players like Lewis Hall, Conor Gallagher, and Mason Mount—decisions that haven’t exactly won over the fans. The club seems to be in disarray, with nothing quite clicking. In the midst of this turmoil, Chelsea has brought in Enzo Maresca, a relatively inexperienced head coach, to turn things around. But so far, Maresca has struggled to get his style and philosophy to stick, leaving fans wondering if this is the right move for the club.

Chelsea’s performance against Manchester City has already put Enzo Maresca under a lot of pressure. The Blues tried to play out from the back. However, they constantly made mistakes, and a team of City’s quality ruthlessly capitalized on those mistakes. Furthermore, Chelsea’ first game of the Premier League season is against City. Games don’t come much tougher than that. Therefore, their last preseason game against Inter will be of utmost importance.

In contrast to the ongoing chaos at Chelsea, Inter Milan has enjoyed a period of relative stability under Simone Inzaghi. Since taking over from Antonio Conte in 2021, Inzaghi has guided Inter to both a Champions League Final and a Serie A title. His leadership has made Inter one of the most consistent teams not only in Italy but across Europe. The Nerazzurri have further strengthened their squad in the transfer window. Therefore, their match-up against Chelsea will be a fascinating affair.

Chelsea vs Inter Milan – Team News and Updates

Chelsea heads into their upcoming clash facing some injury concerns. Axel Disasi is sidelined with a groin injury and isn't expected to return until early September. Nicolas Jackson is also a doubt for the match due to a sprained ankle, while Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella might miss out as they lack match fitness after their participation in Euro 2024.

On the other side, Inter Milan has their own injury issues. Defender Stefan de Vrij is dealing with muscle discomfort in his left hamstring and is likely to be unavailable. Additionally, Inter could be missing key players like Mehdi Taremi, Piotr Zielinski, and Tajon Buchanan, who are all expected to be out until late August.

Given these injury setbacks, Chelsea's potential starting lineup could feature Jorgensen in goal, with a backline of Reece James, Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, and Malo Gusto. In midfield, Enzo Fernandez and Moisés Caicedo might take charge, with Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, and Raheem Sterling playing behind the lone striker, Guiu.

For Inter Milan, Yann Sommer is likely to start between the posts, with a defensive trio of Yann Aurel Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni. The three centerbacks will be flanked by Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco. The midfield could consist of Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Davide Frattesi. Up front, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez are expected to lead the attack.