Frank Lampard has confirmed that Edouard Mendy will have to wait to make his debut for Chelsea given the goalkeeper has barely trained ahead of the side’s clash with West Brom.
Mendy completed a switch from Rennes to Stamford Bridge earlier this week after the two clubs reached a £22million agreement for the 28-year-old Senegal international.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has fallen some way short of expectations following his world-record £71m move back in 2018 and the Spaniard did himself no favours last weekend when he was partly at fault for both of Sadio Mane’s goals in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
However, Kepa could be in line to continue his run in the side at the Hawthorns this weekend, with Mendy yet to take part in serious training after flying into the UK on Thursday.
Willy Caballero, who took over from Kepa towards the end of last season and started versus Barnsley on Wednesday night, is another option for Lampard against the Baggies.
‘To start tomorrow, is not going to happen,’ Lampard said when asked about Mendy’s chances of replacing Kepa in the team at West Brom. ‘He has had a long week and not really trained. ‘He flew in yesterday and it is too tight of a turnaround to start.’
Lampard admitted he had not yet managed to sit down and talk to Kepa in the wake of Mendy’s move.
‘I haven’t spoken to him, but I will have a conversation with him and Caballero in 24 hours or so,’ the Chelsea coach said. ‘There is good competition between them.’
In his first official interview with Chelsea’s official website, Mendy revealed that he had followed the club since childhood and even owned a shirt was Claudio Ranieri was in charge.
‘I’ve been a Chelsea supporter since I was little. I adore this club,’ he said. ‘When I was 12 I had the chance with a past club I played for to go to Brighton, and we watched a match.
I thought English football was amazing. ‘We went into a shop and I saw the Chelsea shirt, this was about 2003 when Ranieri was the manager, and I bought this shirt. So I’ve always liked this club.’
Mendy added: ‘I’m waiting to see it live every weekend, but there are a lot of games, a lot of intensity, a lot of goals like this last weekend! ‘It’s an attractive league, the stadiums are fantastic and when they are not shut the passion of the fans is incredible.’
