Thomas Tuchel has explained his decision to start Kepa Arrizabalaga instead of Edouard Mendy for Chelsea's Champions League group stage opener against Dinamo Zagreb.
The German was given a big decision to make after Mendy was involved heavily in West Ham's goal at the weekend and was nearly at fault for a late equaliser, being given a reprieve by VAR after parrying a Reece James backpass. The first choice keeper was also caught out with a failed punch attempt in the lead up to Michail Antonio's goal in the Blues' 2-1 victory.
Mendy has come under the spotlight having dropped from his impressive levels in 2021 and with the most expensive goalkeeper in the world as backup, Kepa has been given his chance to force a way into Tuchel's thinking on a more consistent basis.
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The Spanish player wanted to leave the club during the summer in an attempt to regain the number one spot for his country, a place he has lost since falling out of favour at Chelsea in 2020.
He hadn't played a game for Chelsea since their FA Cup fifth round win at Luton Town in March 2021, but was called upon in the Champions League, with Tuchel saying he has been patient and warrants the chance. "First of all the most important thing is that Kepa deserves for a long time to play," Tuchel admitted.
"Our goalkeepers compete at the highest level. It's a new competition so it maybe is a good moment for Edou to take a breath. He was a bit unlucky in the last games and on top of this Edou has problems with the patella tendon in his knee so he not 100% fit at the moment so we took the chance to give him a break and give Kepa the confidence for this game and also for the next game in the Champions League.
"It's a decision for Kepa and taking advantage of the possibility that it is the Champions League, it is an important match and now he can feel the trust because he deserves it."
With a game against Fulham coming up swiftly on Saturday afternoon there will remain question marks over Mendy's fitness, but the Senegalese keeper was fit enough to face the shots of his teammate in the warm-up and was named on the bench.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Kepa was unable to get his side back a run of cleansheets, after only managing one in the opening six games of the season, conceding from Zagreb's first foray forward after a quick counter-attack in the first half.
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