Senegal boss has “blind trust” on Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy despite mistakes
Speaking to the media (h/t Daily Mail), Senegal boss Aliou Cisse has blind trust in Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy despite his lack of form and committed mistakes against the Netherlands in their World Cup opener.
Mendy, who was not in great form for the club going into the tournament, made two glaring errors against the Dutch that allowed them to score the goals to beat the AFCON champions.
The first one was the costliest, when he came out to vie for a ball with Cody Gakpo, and the PSV Eindhoven star got there ahead of him to score in the 84th minute. The 30-year-old, who arrived in west London in 2020, was in top form for the Blues till the latter half of last season. Since then, things have not been the same.
Here’s what the Senegal boss regarding the trust he has in his goalkeeper (h/t Daily Mail):
“Edouard [is] doing very well, he has a steel resolve. We chatted about the game. Edouard’s qualities speak for himself. He has had highs and lows but he has my blind trust. He will be on the pitch.”
After a sketchy start to the season, Mendy picked up an injury against West Ham United, which allowed new manager Graham Potter to start Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal.
The Spaniard took his chance with both hands and had an incredible run in the team. Unfortunately, he then picked up an injury in the defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion, forcing the manager to get Mendy back.
Before Potter arrived, the Senegal international was the designated number-one keeper at the club. However, the Englishman made it clear that he has not decided on who his number one is and would let football make the decision for him.
If we look at his confidence and performances so far, Mendy is not doing much to make the manager select him first when the club season resumes. Unless there is a drastic change in fortunes during the World Cup, we could see Kepa reclaim his place back in between the sticks.
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The former Rennes player still has a contract with Chelsea until the summer of 2025. There have been doubts regarding his future in the last few weeks. It would not be sensible to let go of him though. Having his experience would be key to keeping Kepa on his toes.