Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel, has not changed his goalkeeper ranking, saying that Edward Mendy deserves to be number one.
There has been no change of status for Kepa Arrizabalaga despite his recent performances at Chelsea.
Kepa started his first Premier League game in October on Monday when Chelsea beat Newcastle at Stamford Bridge, which sparked rumours that the £71m signing from Athletic Bilbao was set for a run in the side under new coach Tuchel.
However, that does not appear to be the case judging by Tuchel’s comments this lunchtime.
“I don’t know [how close Kepa is to challenging Mendy to be number one]. Nothing has changed and Edou is the number one,” Tuchel said during Friday’s pre-match press conference.
“He deserves to be the number one and this is a sensitive position where you need to be clear and you cannot hide. You cannot hide your opinion in the press conferences and, of course, not in the dressing room. Things have to be clear and you cannot be afraid of it – and we are not.
“So things have not changed, but like I said we need three strong goalkeepers and we need everybody ready because the rhythm is high, the challenge is high, the goals to achieve are high in this club. We need everybody, not only three goalkeepers, but all 21, 22 guys on the field to be ready now for whatever is needed.
“If we need them five minutes, you have to be ready for five minutes. If we need them from the beginning, it’s from the beginning. If you have a bad decision, you’re not in the squad, maybe next time we need you. You have to be ready. This is the topic for the next weeks and this includes Kepa.
“I can only repeat myself. Kepa did two good matches, he had two clean sheets. This is the best he can have for his confidence, but it is also what we expect from him. Nothing has changed. Edou is No1.”
COMMENTS