Chelsea ace left in tears as two injury blows suffered in damaging setback for Xabi Alonso

Chelsea will head into the new season with a number of player injuries to navigate, with one star left in tears during the Blues' 3-3 draw with Johor Darul Ta'zim

Aaron Anselmino was left in tears as an injury cut short his time in Chelsea's 3-3 pre-season friendly draw with Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday.

It comes as the second injury blow of the afternoon for Xabi Alonso, with Mamadou Sarr pulling out ahead of kick-off, having been initially named in the Blues' starting line-up.

Anselmino showed signs of promise before he pulled up 29 minutes into the encounter at the Stadium Sultan Ibrahim, seemingly harbouring issues in his hamstring.

The 21-year-old centre-half was visibly frustrated as he lay on the ground receiving treatment, having faced a number of similar injuries since his arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2024.

The Argentinian was consoled by team-mates as he made his way off the pitch in tears, replaced by Reggie Watson.

And even if it the injury isn't a major issue which will sideline Anselmino for a prolonged period, it has hampered the defender's chances of proving his worth to Alonso in pre-season, with a new Premier League campaign just around the corner.

The pair of injuries could also come as a serious blow to Alonso's plans for the season, given the Spaniard could have looked to lean on the defenders in terms of squad depth, with transfer funds dwindling after a summer of big spending.

FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

While Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo and new arrival, Maxence Lacroix, are expected to take precedent in the centre of Alonso's back line, a number of Chelsea's other defenders are tipped with leaving the club ahead of next month's deadline.

Among those are Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah and Axel Disasi, who have struggled to make much of a mark in their respective tenures in West London.

Despite fielding a largely second-strength squad against Johor, work is evidently needed ahead of Chelsea's seasonal opener with Fulham come August 24.

It has been a mixed bag pre-season tour for the Blues, snagging wins over Western Sydney Warriors and AC Milan, while suffering defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

Sunday's clash with Johor, meanwhile, finished all-square at 3-3. Arif Aiman gave the Malaysian outfit the lead just 14 minutes in, with Liam Delap coolly converting a penalty later in the opening period to ensure Chelsea headed into half-time on level terms.

Delap then scored his second penalty of the match early into the second-half, with Oscar Arribas squaring matters once again moments later.

Johor took a 3-2 lead with just four minutes left to play through Bergson, before an Antonio Glauder own-goal ensured a 3-3 draw in Malaysia.

Chelsea next take on Real Sociedad in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 15 at Stamford Bridge.