Softfootball can confirm Chelsea’s new set-piece coach, Austin MacPhee, is set to join the club’s pre-season squad in Hong Kong after completing his move from Aston Villa.
Earlier on July 25, 2026, Chelsea activated the release clause in MacPhee’s contract, paving the way for the highly-rated coach to become part of Xabi Alonso’s backroom staff at Stamford Bridge.
The 46-year-old brings an end to his five-year spell at Aston Villa, where he established himself as one of football’s leading set-piece specialists. MacPhee had already bid farewell to staff at Villa Park before making the switch, leaving Villa searching for a replacement ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
His arrival follows the departure of Bernardo Cueva as part of Alonso’s coaching restructure, with Chelsea hoping MacPhee’s expertise will further strengthen the team’s tactical approach from dead-ball situations.
Meanwhile, Mykhaylo Mudryk is also travelling to Hong Kong to rejoin Chelsea’s pre-season squad after the resolution of his long-running doping case.
The Ukrainian winger is now immediately available to Alonso after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted a suspension equivalent to the time he had already served, clearing him to return to first-team football for the first time in almost two years.
