With pre-season trips to Ireland and Japan now concluded, the Blues are back in England as pre-season preparations approach the final fortnight before our Premier League opener at Old Trafford.
Frank Lampard’s first game as boss on English soil takes place this weekend in Berkshire as we take on Reading, a game that is available to watch via a live stream on this website or our official mobile app, the 5th Stand. Below, we outline all the key information you need…
When is the Reading game?
The game kicks off at 3pm (UK time) on Sunday 28 July.
Where is it being played?
The match will be held at the Madejski Stadium, home to Championship side Reading since 1998. It will be our first visit to the ground since January 2013, the year the Royals were relegated from the Premier League.
How can I watch it live online?
Our latest pre-season friendly can be watched globally via a live stream on this website or on our 5th Stand app.
If you choose to watch the live stream on the website, from the UK and Ireland you can view our remaining pre-season games for £10.99. If you sign up after further games have been played, the price will remain the same.
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If you choose to watch on the 5th Stand app, the Reading game is available for £1.99. The game can be purchased from five hours before kick-off.
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Please be aware that you will only be able to watch on the channel you sign up on. If you pay to watch the game on The 5th Stand app you will only be able to watch on the 5th Stand and not the website. If you sign up to watch on the videos section of this website you will only be able to watch on the website and not The 5th Stand.
What is the full broadcast schedule?
12 noon - Pre-season highlights so far1pm – This week at Chelsea featuring an exclusive interview with Tammy Abraham2pm - Pre-season highlights so far3pm - Kick-off
How has pre-season gone so far?
Lampard was full of enthusiasm following our win over Barcelona in Japan earlier this week, commenting: ‘I’m very happy. It’s been good on the pitch and off the pitch. There is more work to do but it’s been a good trip.
‘What I’ve learnt about the players is they’re a strong group. They’ve done everything asked of them and more. We’ve had two very competitive games in humidity and difficult conditions. It’s a good test for the players and the tour has helped us.’
The Barcelona game was our fourth of the summer campaign following an earlier outing in Yokohama against Kawasaki Frontale, plus two fixtures in Dublin when Bohemians and St Patrick’s were our opponents.
Squad news
The squad arrived back in London early on Wednesday morning and have two days off before returning to training at Cobham. N’Golo Kante, who returned home earlier to work on his knee injury, could rejoin the group ahead of the game.