Edouard Mendy is set to be starting Chelsea’s next three games as Kepa Arrizabalaga has been ruled out of the Blues’ clashes with Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle ahead of the World Cup.
The Senegalese goalkeeper has been second choice to the Spaniard since Graham Potter arrived at Chelsea in September.
When the Englishman took over, Mendy was battling an injury so Kepa was given the nod and he performed well enough to retain the number one spot.
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The former Athletic Bilbao man had a fantastic month in October and has even been nominated to receive the Player of the Month award.
He put in stellar displays against both Aston Villa and Brentford in the Premier League and was on a streak of five consecutive clean sheets until Manchester United scored a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
In the Blues’ next Premier League game, a lot of things went wrong, they suffered an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Potter’s former club, Brighton, and the 28-year-old keeper was forced off injured at half-time.
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Kepa then missed the game in midweek against Dinamo Zagreb as well, with Mendy stepping up to fill the void.
He had little to do, and despite conceding early on, the west London side went on to win the match 2-1.
With a massive game coming up against Arsenal on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, questions have been circling as to whether Kepa will be back in the squad soon.
In his pre-match press conference head coach Potter was asked about Kepa returning to the side ahead of the World Cup.
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He responded: “Kepa, no. It’s his plantar fascia (foot), so I don’t think he will play before the World Cup.”
While it is a big loss for Chelsea, fortunately Mendy can replace him.
The Blues have three matches before the World Cup in Qatar begins, two Premier League clashes against Arsenal and Newcastle and then a Carabao Cup contest against Manchester City.
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30-year-old Mendy has an opportunity in these matches to prove why he should be the number one option at Stamford Bridge.
Given Kepa’s fine form as of late, he is going to have to put in some excellent displays to re-establish himself as the favoured choice.
Early on in the season there were a few mistakes, including a glaring error against Leeds United in a 3-0 loss at Elland Road.
In the next three games, Mendy will need to avoid costly moments like this.
Topics: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Edouard Mendy, Chelsea, Graham Potter, Football
Sam Collins