Chelsea suffer surprise defeat to Portsmouth in behind-closed-doors friendly

Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat to Championship side Portsmouth in a behind-closed-doors friendly as Xabi Alonso used the fixture to work on tactics during the international break, according to the Daily Mail. The training exercise featured a mixture of first-team players returning from injury and academy prospects, with several senior stars away on international duty.

The result comes as Alonso focuses on improving Chelsea’s defensive organisation, with the Blues having conceded 12 goals in their opening five Premier League matches. Chelsea will return to league action against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on October 10, when Alonso must decide whether to retain his three-man defence or switch to a back four.