Chelsea fans will have to wait to get a first glimpse of Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly as the Blues, minus their two newest signings, started their pre-season tour of the United States with a 2-1 win over Club America on Saturday night.
German forward Timo Werner opened the scoring in the 55th minute, before an own goal from English full-back Reece James five minutes later restored parity for Club America in Las Vegas. Midfielder Mason Mount then secured the victory seven minutes from time with a superb strike.
Chelsea's starting line-up was predominantly comprised of players who had reported back earliest for pre-season, with the exceptions of Kai Havertz, Conor Gallagher - returning from his successful loan spell at Crystal Palace - and Thiago Silva, who captained the side at the Allegiant Stadium.
There was also a place in the team for left-back Ben Chilwell, making his first start since a six-month injury layoff following a serious knee injury last November.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel made 10 changes at halftime - only goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga played the full match - but there was no sight of Sterling or Koulibaly. Sterling joined Chelsea in a £50 million ($59.3m) move from Manchester City on Wednesday, while Koulibaly completed his £34m move from Napoli on Friday.
The two new signings could make their first appearances for Chelsea next Thursday when the Blues face Charlotte FC at the Bank of America Stadium. Chelsea then take on London rivals Arsenal in the Florida Cup at the Camping World Stadium next Sunday, July 24 in Orlando, Florida.
Check out the gallery above for the best photos from Chelsea's win over Club America. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.
