New signing Edouard Mendy has picked up an injury on international duty this week, which has forced Chelsea to start either out-of-favour goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga or seasoned veteran Willy Caballero against Southampton in this gameweek.
Chelsea would love to have a few more options in their arsenal, and they possibly can’t look any further than their technical and performance advisor at the club right now.
Former goalkeeper and a true legend at the club in his own right, Petr Cech has turned up in goalkeeping training sessions since this summer in order to tighten the last line of defence after a season which saw Chelsea concede 54 goals in the league: the most out of all other teams in the top ten.
Frank Lampard has called upon his ex-teammate to inspire his keeping unit for the season, and a recent clip of him training at Cobham has gone viral on social media.
Cech in his prime was nearly invincible, and the clip suggested that despite retiring from the game a year ago: he’s still got a lot in his locker.
Édouard Mendy is injured…
— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) October 11, 2020
Up steps Chelsea’s director of football 😉🔵 pic.twitter.com/58MTvljGbH
The Czech custodian put on his iconic headgear to take part in a goalkeeping drill, as he displayed his safe hands and cat-like reflexes once again: just as he did in his 443 appearances for Chelsea.
On his day there was no getting past him, and it looks like he could still give the club’s present goalkeeping options a run for their money.
Being gifted the freedom to choose a new goalkeeper by head coach Lampard, Cech played a part in the club signing Mendy from Stade Rennes in France: the same club that Chelsea signed a young Cech from in 2004.
Cech conceded 15 goals and kept 24 clean sheets in the entirety of the 2004/05 season, two records that are yet to be broken in the Premier League. He went on to keep a club record 202 clean sheets, and played an immense role in the club winning the 2012 Champions League final in Munich.
There is no better role model to inspire the Senegalese goalkeeper for success at Chelsea than Petr Cech, as Lampard will look to tighten their rear guard after a leaky last season at the back.
Chelsea would want the best goalkeeper in their history to play a part in it off the pitch if not on it anymore, and they would be hoping that the apprentice is inspired by his still brilliant master.