Chelsea coach, Frank Lampard has talked about Chelsea’s new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after he joined the training session. Fans are excited to see their new goalkeeper but Lampard has ruled out that option and confirmed that he will not feature in the Premier League clash at West Bromwich Albion.
Lampard told reporters: “Mendy to start tomorrow is not going to happen. He’s had a long week where he hasn’t trained.
“He flew in yesterday, it just feels too tight of a turnaround to put him in contention to start the game.”
The Senegal goalkeeper joined the Blues from Ligue 1 club, Rennes, and signed a five-year contract this week. This has strengthened Lampard’s goalkeeping options as he will be able to step up in place of error-prone Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Kepa became the world’s most expensive young keeper after he signed at Chelsea on a £72 million deal. Since then the Spaniard has barely lived up to his expectations of the club and failing in most important occasions.
His recent costly mistakes will undoubtedly see Senegal international Mendy between the sticks sooner or later and the club is even considering moving him out on loan too.
But that might not happen as the coach thinks that may put pressure on the new goalkeeper. He believes that it will be too much to ask if he starts just right after his arrival in the new club.
Moreover, it is a new atmosphere for him, and he hasn’t yet got the taste of the Premier League yet in his career.
That leaves the door open for Kepa who may get another last chance to prove himself and come back strong after a piss-poor performance.
“I have a very open line of communication with both of them,” he said. “The goalkeepers have their own small union at the training ground because of the way they work together.
“There is good competition there now and that is how we move forward,” said the Blues coach.
Mendy’s £22 million transfer to Stamford Bridge can mark the end of Kepa’s Chelsea career and he sure knows that too. The coach is yet to hold a meeting to discuss the future of the goalkeeper in the coming days.
