In their match against Leicester City, Chelsea opted to bench Kepa Arrizabalaga. The move drew a lot of flak, although one reason believed to be behind the move is the 25-year-old's erratic performance. Willy Caballero was called upon to take his place, but it appears the move is only temporary.
According to a recent report from The Sun, it seems that the move to bench Kepa was nothing more than a wakeup call. Hence, it appears that the Spanish goalkeeper could be back in action, possibly when Chelsea faces Manchester United. Frank Lampard may have used the winter break to thresh out things with Kepa, who has conceded almost five more goals this season than expected.
If true, this should douse water over insinuations that Kepa's time with Chelsea is nearing an end. It negates previous belief that Lampard wants to replace him, NBC Sports reported. Among the names mentioned include Nick Pope and Vicente Guatia. There is also Dean Henderson, a promising young player that Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly courting.
As far as the benching, the latest developments now seem to back Lampard's drive to make sure that the Blues stay in top form. Caballero answered that call when he was called upon against Hull. That performance earned the vote of confidence of Lampard.
All eyes will be on Kepa if he does regain the starting goalkeeper position. He obviously has plenty to prove, and the break should be enough to allow him to get himself back on track. Chelsea currently sits at fourth in the Premier League table. They are currently battling Sheffield United and Tottenham for the final Champions League spot, a reason why Lampard has upped the stakes for the Blues.
It will be recalled that Lampard was pretty disappointed about not being able to land players last month. This led him to tag the Blues as underdogs. For now, they are busy preparing against Man Utd, a match where everyone needs to be on the same page.
Beyond this season, Kepa's future could depend on whether Chelsea can land Henderson. The 22-year-old goalkeeper has captured the interest of several teams, especially after maintaining nine clean sheets this season. Though the Red Devils would love to keep him, the fact that they have David De Gea makes Henderson dispensable. It is unlikely Henderson will settle for a backup role, especially now with Chelsea and PSG, among others, in hot pursuit of the 22-year-old rising star.
