Kepa Arrizabalaga, the goalkeeper for Chelsea, has been given a position in Spain’s 55-man World Cup squad in recognition of his recent exploits back with the Blues.
After failing to stop Manchester United’s Casemiro’s equalising goal during their Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga appears defeated.
After failing to stop Manchester United’s Casemiro’s equalising goal during their Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga appears defeated.
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Since Graham Potter became the Blues manager, many Chelsea players have witnessed significant improvements in their performances, but Kepa Arrizabalaga may have had the greatest improvement.
Under Potter, the Spaniard has started every game and has racked up five clean sheets while making some outstanding saves.
Edouard Mendy, Chelsea’s starting goalkeeper since joining the club in 2020, was replaced by Arrizabalaga for Potter’s first game in command of the Blues against RB Salzburg. Mendy rejoined the team for Chelsea’s victory over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, but he was put in an unaccustomed position on the bench.
Many thought Mendy would rejoin the club right away, but Potter has persisted with Kepa despite several standout displays, most notably his spectacular quadruple save against Aston Villa.
According to AS, Spain’s original 55-man World Cup roster will now include the 28-year-old as compensation for his outstanding Chelsea tenure in goal.
In order to choose his final 26-man squad, Luis Enrique reportedly sent off a team of 55 players, five for each position, with Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea completely missing out.
Kepa’s inclusion in the preliminary squad reveals Enrique has been impressed by his performances in west London, and it’s possible a starting spot could be on the cards if he continues his noteworthy performances. Brentford’s David Raya and Brighton’s Robert Sanchez are likely to remain above Kepa in the pecking order.