Chelsea return to action for the first time since their FIFA Club World Cup triumph when they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge for a showpiece preseason friendly.

Willian Estevao, Jamie Gittens, and Jorrel Hato are in line to sport Chelsea blue for the very first time at Stamford Bridge, with Estevao and Gittens both involved in Palmeiras and Borussia Dortmund’s Club World Cup campaigns, and Hato signed from Ajax last week.

Chelsea came into the 2024/25 campaign with a lot of uncertainty. The board had brought in Enzo Maresca to take the place of Mauricio Pochettino as the leader of the youngest squad in the Premier League. Despite a mid-season wobble, they walked away with a winning culture back on the mend.