For Chelsea Football Club, all eyes on Real Sociedad right now. On the women’s side, Chelsea drew Sociedad yesterday in the third round qualifying for the Champions League. On the men’s side, Sociedad will be the opponent for the final friendly of the preseason on Saturday.
As this is the last exhibition match warm-up for 2026-27, first year manager Xabi Alonso will want to bring his best foot forward and field his strongest possible team. Will that include new signing Pep Chavarria?
Chelsea vs Real Sociedad Club Friendly FYIs
Kickoff: 2pm British Standard Time
Date: Saturday, Aug 15th, 2026
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Well, for what it’s worth, we think Chavarria will start on the bench on this one. He won’t be the only notable name left out of the first team. Dario Essugo, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian are amongst the other players that we just couldn’t seem to find a place for right now in the starting lineup.
Chelsea are coming off having played two friendlie last weekend, a 3-0 win over AC Milan on Saturday and a 3-3 draw with Johor Darul Ta’zim. It provided Alonso a great opportunity to rotate his side and play lots of guys.
Chelsea Predicted Starting XI vs Real Sociedad
Robert Sanchez; Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Jorrel Hato; Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer; Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto; Danny Welbeck
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.