Crystal Palace Under-21s return to Premier League 2 action for their first fixture of 2026, travelling across London to face Chelsea at Cobham Training Centre – get the full lowdown below!
This game will NOT be streamed live on Palace TV+ on Saturday owing to our first-team clash with Macclesfield FC in the FA Cup – click HERE to learn more about Palace TV+ and subscribe today!
However, live updates will be available via the club’s Academy X account, with a full match report and post-match reaction published shortly after full-time on the Academy section of the club website.
Highlights will also be available on Palace TV+.
It has been almost two months since Palace last featured in Premier League 2 action. In that time, Darren Powell’s side have balanced a demanding schedule that included Premier League International Cup fixtures, a programme of behind-closed-doors friendlies and the winter break.
The young Eagles’ most recent league outing came in early November, when they played out a 2-2 draw with Stoke City at the Academy. On that occasion, Kaden Rodney converted a stoppage-time penalty to earn Palace a share of the points.
Palace currently sit 12th in PL2, having collected 14 points from eight matches – level with Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The campaign to date has yielded four wins, two draws and two defeats.
The table remains tightly packed. Just four points separate Palace from third-placed Fulham, while leaders Ipswich Town hold an eight-point advantage at the summit. At the opposite end, Leeds United sit 17th on 11 points – the current cut-off for the new cross-category play-offs.
League action resumes for Palace on Saturday (10 January, 13:00 GMT), with the young Eagles travelling to face Chelsea.
During the interim period, Palace impressed in the Premier League International Cup, recording notable victories over Juventus and FC Nordsjaelland, while also contesting friendly fixtures against Bournemouth, Notts County and Marseille.
Players and staff then departed for the winter break, returning refreshed and ready for a demanding run of league fixtures in the months ahead.
Chelsea currently sit fourth in Premier League 2, four points behind leaders Ipswich Town. The Blues made a strong start to the campaign under Calum McFarlane, and will be keen to rediscover that early momentum with Harry Hudson now at the helm.
The club opened the season in emphatic fashion, defeating reigning champions Manchester City 3-1 in their curtain-raiser at Kingsmeadow, courtesy of a Shumaira Mheuka hat-trick. That was followed by a commanding 5-0 away win at Newcastle United, before August concluded with another victory on the road at Aston Villa, leaving Chelsea with a 100% record heading into the September international break.
Their unbeaten run came to an end against Ipswich in an entertaining contest, before a narrow defeat to Stoke City later that month. Since then, Chelsea have responded positively, recording notable wins over Burnley and Arsenal, while a frustrating defeat at Everton briefly disrupted momentum.
Chelsea rounded off the first half of the season with a convincing 4-1 home victory over Reading, thanks to a dominant attacking display.
Elsewhere, the Blues were eliminated from the EFL Trophy after a penalty shootout defeat to League Two high-flyers Walsall. However, they impressed in the UEFA Youth League, topping their group with 16 points after victories over Bayern Munich, Benfica, Ajax, Qarabag and Atalanta, along with a draw against Barcelona – five wins from six to secure progression to the knockout stages.
Their International Cup campaign has proved more challenging, with defeats to Dinamo Zagreb, Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica.
Chelsea also boast an outstanding pedigree at youth level, having won Premier League 2 twice, lifted the UEFA Youth League on two occasions, and secured back-to-back FA Youth Cup triumphs.
Chelsea's expected starting XI: Merrick; Wilson, Osagie, Murray-Campbell, McMahon; Harrison, Rak-Sakyi, Derry; Richards, Mheuka, Ampah.
With the January transfer window open, Axel Disasi is unlikely to feature having attracted interest elsewhere. Justin Osagie could therefore be drafted into the defensive line. In attack, competition for places remains strong, with Deivid Washington, Sol Gordon and Dujuan Richards all pushing for inclusion.
Chelsea boast the joint-best defensive record in Premier League 2, conceding just 11 goals, while their 20 goals scored places them among the league’s most productive sides. Six league victories leave them well placed in the table, with only a small margin separating them from the top two.
After a challenging spell in September, the Blues have since found consistency and will provide a stern test on home soil.
Mheuka has been a consistent attacking presence for Chelsea at U21 level this season, combining physicality with intelligent movement and a strong goalscoring instinct. The striker has netted seven goals in Premier League 2 so far, placing him among the division’s leading scorers.
The England youth international captained the Blues U21s earlier in the campaign and made an immediate impact, scoring four goals in his opening three league matches before being named Premier League 2 Player of the Month for August.
Mheuka has also gained valuable experience across multiple competitions, featuring in the UEFA Youth League and making senior appearances in European competition. On the international stage, he has continued to impress, scoring regularly for England U19s during the autumn.
A powerful presence in the box and a threat both in open play and from crosses, Mheuka will be one of Chelsea’s key attacking outlets on Saturday.
Callum McFarlane will not return to his role as U21s head coach following a period in caretaker charge of Chelsea’s first team, he will instead join Liam Rosenior's coaching staff.
Harry Hudson, meanwhile, has been promoted from the U18 coaching staff to lead the U21s, like McFarlane, he joined Chelsea last summer.
Hudson's background includes spells at Sevenoaks Town, Whyteleafe FC and Croydon FC, before moving into academy football with Brentford and later Wycombe Wanderers.
He is also the co-founder of the Kinetic Foundation, a charity supporting young people into education, employment and training.
This game will NOT be streamed live on Palace TV+ on Saturday owing to our first-team clash with Macclesfield FC in the FA Cup – click HERE to learn more about Palace TV+ and subscribe today!
However, live updates will be available via the club’s Academy X account, with a full match report and post-match reaction published shortly after full-time on the Academy section of the club website.
Highlights will also be available on Palace TV+.
Chelsea Under-21s v Crystal Palace Under-21s
• Saturday, 10th January<br> • 13:00 GMT<br> • Premier League 2 Division One<br> • Cobham Training Centre