Frank Lampard to hold Kepa Arrizabalaga talks after Edouard Mendy signing
Written by News on 25/09/2020
Frank Lampard says Edouard Mendy will not start for Chelsea against West Brom and plans to hold talks with Kepa Arrizabalaga in the next 24 hours.
Mendy completed his £22m move to Stamford Bridge on Thursday but Lampard says he has not had enough time to prepare for Saturday’s trip to the Hawthorns.
That means either Kepa or Willy Caballero will start against West Brom and Lampard says he will speak to both players about the arrival of fellow goalkeeper Mendy.
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“I haven’t spoken to Kepa,” said Lampard. “The announcement came and we trained.
“I didn’t see Kepa but I will have a conversation with him and Wily Caballero over the next 24 hours.
“I’ve a very open line of communication with both of them. It’s important as goalkeepers, they have their own small union in the training ground because of the nature of the way they work together.
“There’s good competition there now and that’s how we move forward.”
Kepa’s position as first-choice goalkeeper has come under intense scrutiny after high-profile errors in each of Chelsea’s two Premier League games this season.
Lampard sought the advice of former team-mate Petr Cech before moving for Mendy, who has joined on a five-year deal.
The 28-year-old became Chelsea’s seventh first-team signing of the summer but Saturday’s game has come too soon.
“It’s not going to happen,” replied Lampard when asked if Mendy could start against West Brom. “He’s had a long week where he hasn’t really trained.
“He flew in yesterday (Thursday) and we just felt it’s too tight a turnaround to put him in contention to start the game.”
Summer transfer window – key dates and times
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday October 5 with a feast of activity lined up on Transfer Deadline Day on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms.
A domestic-only window for deals between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on SSN and across Sky Sports‘ digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Frank Lampard to hold Kepa Arrizabalaga talks after Edouard Mendy signing
