Chelsea to also play friendly against Weymouth opening weekend of new season

We’re exactly one week (!!) away from the start of the new Premier League season, with a UEFA Super Cup to contest three days prior to that as well, but we’ve also added another game to the schedule, a closed-doors friendly against non-league side Weymouth at Cobham on the 15th of August.

That’s exactly one day after our first league match of the season, versus Crystal Palace at the Bridge, though it sounds like we will still be using a strong lineup to give a bit more match fitness to certain players in the squad — at least that’s the expectation of Weymouth boss Brian Stock.

“I got messaged by Chelsea, from Carlo Cudicini, asking if we fancy a game, to which I said: ‘Yes!’

“I thought it was going to be against the under-23s, but it’s actually going to be against the majority of the first team that don’t play against Palace on the Saturday. And there’s a few internationals coming back, so it’s a game for them as well.”

-Brian Stock; source: Dorset Echo

Despite what Stock says, and given that it’s Loan Army coordinator Carlo Cudicini arranging the match, I would assume that this friendly is mostly intended to keep our fringe players and loanees somewhat fit as we look for their next assignments. That said, the story from the Echo names Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell as “likely” participants due to their recent return from summer holidays. I suppose we’ll see — or not, since it won’t be televised.