Spalletti happy with friendly win over Chelsea, says Yildiz is ‘no longer in pain’ after knee issue

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HONG KONG, CHINA - AUGUST 5: Luciano Spalletti of Juventus during the pre season friendly match between Chelsea and Juventus on August 5, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images) | Juventus FC via Getty Images

Juventus kicked off the first leg of their three-game summer tour of Hong Kong and Australia with a 1-0 victory over Premier League giants Chelsea on Wednesday. It was the strongest lineup that manager Luciano Spalletti has rolled out there so far this preseason, with no youth team players featuring for the first time since the friendlies began last month.

Despite some of the Biaconeri’s biggest names — most notably Kenan Yildiz — starting from the bench and their two most recent signings Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegović not suiting up at all considering they signed just three days earlier, Juventus were able to claim the win over a Premier League side that has all the money in the world at their disposal. (Plus, a brand new manager who they are facing at his new club for the second consecutive season.)

By the sound of it, Spalletti seemed pretty happy with how things went against Chelsea.

“These tests tell you what path you’re on. I liked the fact that we remained a team throughout the match, both when we struggled on the edge of the box and when we broke back. We created some excellent chances and could have done even more. Our attitude was always marked by compactness and the ability to translate onto the pitch, all together, what needed to be done at any given moment. I saw a very active team, always close to the ball. Chelsea can do everything: they can build from the back, they can finish, and they can really drive the game forward in terms of pace and speed. They’re a top-class team, and for this very reason, it was important for us not to give up in these situations.”

(All quotes via TuttoJuve.com)

The condition of Yildiz and his troublesome knee pain has been one of the biggest Juventus talking for months now, and has been hanging over his return from his post-World Cup break last week. Yildiz didn’t take part in Friday’s friendly win over Nice, instead watching from the sideline and continuing on his personalized training program.

Since then, Yildiz has continued to train with the rest of the group — and noticeably without his knee all taped up to help give him a little more support — and made his first appearance of the preseason against Chelsea, providing the assist on Edon Zhegrova’s goal that proved to be the game-winning strike.

Spalletti provided what had to be a refreshing kind of health update about Yildiz after the final whistle.

“He’s a very important player for us. That’s why we’re carefully managing his playing time, trying to build a proper schedule and training program to get him to the best of his ability throughout the season. But the fact that he’s no longer in pain, that he’s smiling and free to play his game is what makes us most happy.”

Speaking of Zhegrova, his brilliant left-footed strike made the difference on the scoreboard, and came at a time in which his future at Juventus still seems relatively unknown despite the end of the summer transfer window being less than a month away.

It was the kind of goal that gave you a little glimpse of the version of Zhegrova that was so good for Lille when he was healthy two seasons ago. Just if he can get back to that level still remains to be seen.

“A goal is obviously a pleasure for anyone, but it’s not enough on its own. Just as an assist or a goal aren’t enough if you don’t provide the right support to the team in the other ninety minutes. You score a goal in a minute, while the match lasts 96 (minutes): what really matters is your attitude throughout the game. He did well. It’s true, he lost a few balls a few times where he could have added continuity to the play, but he showed his qualities. When he has the ball at his feet, he can drag two or three defenders behind him, and he also demonstrated the quality of his shot. It’s always about putting all these things back into that box I mentioned before, to fill the game and help the team grow.”

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Spalletti again made a whole host of changes — which probably isn’t much of a surprise considering it’s the first week of August, players are at different fitness levels depending on their return from their summer breaks and other varying factors. He used his full host of subs — including bringing Jonathan David on to begin the second half but then taking him out with about 15 minutes to go.

Like Yildiz, it was David’s first appearance for Juve since he returned from his post-World Cup vacation.

“It’s August football. We made a lot of substitutions because I wanted to try to give space to two guys who, in my opinion, deserved it. David, on the other hand, was supposed to play about half an hour. In the end, I preferred to bring him straight into the game rather than wait until the end. If, in the last quarter of an hour, there’s a risk of him playing too many minutes, we substitute him again. These are normal situations at this time of the season and can be managed one way or another.”

And, of course, Spalletti was asked about the state of the transfer market. Considering it’s 2 1/2 weeks before the 2026-27 season Serie A season kicks off against Frosinone, it’s a valid thing to ask. But Spalletti was certainly not as willing to discuss things when it comes to the transfer market as he has been after previous friendlies this summer.

“In my opinion, I’m the least suited to talk about these things. As I’ve said, I have an excellent relationship with the club, and we’re in constant communication. From what I see, they’re working hard to implement what we discussed. We’re fully aligned, and we’re continuing to work in the right direction.”

Juventus return to the field on Saturday when they face arch-rival Inter Milan at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia.

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