Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said goalkeeper Robert Sanchez cannot “make a mistake every game” and expect to keep his place as he hinted he could turn to understudy Filip Jorgensen for Monday’s game against West Ham.
The former Brighton keeper has made five mistakes leading directly to goals this season, most recently in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City last weekend when he was caught badly out of position allowing Erling Haaland to give City the lead.
Chelsea fans also cheered ironically whenever the 27-year-old caught the ball during the second half of their victory over Wolves at Stamford Bridge after he had earlier gifted the visitors an equalising goal by dropping the ball at a corner.
There is a growing sense among some supporters that Sanchez’s performances have not been of the required standard if Chelsea are to mount a title challenge in the coming seasons and he has increasingly come under scrutiny as the team’s form has dipped.
Maresca has until now been backed him unconditionally, insisting that he is the club’s number one.
The head coach was asked whether Sanchez, who lost his place to the inexperienced Djordje Petrovic for the second half of last season, could benefit from a period out of the team.
“Sometimes it can happen,” he said. “Not only in Robert’s case. It happened already this season, the other day I was reading about (Gianluigi) Donnarumma, this season he was playing always for PSG then for some games Luis Enrique left him out. Now he’s playing every game and doing well.”
Jorgensen, who joined from Villarreal in the summer and has impressed as the regular goalkeeper for cup matches, has played only once in the Premier League during December’s 5-1 win over Southampton.
“For sure, the number one is Robert but we have two good keepers and we can make some different decisions, for sure it can happen,” said Maresca.
“It doesn’t mean Robert can make a mistake every game and he’s always going to play. No. But the number one choice was Robert. We will see on Monday.
“Not (decided) yet, the decision we have two, three days. The good thing is that any decision I take I feel good, because every time Filip has played since we started, he has done well.
“So Filip or Robert, we will see but any decision will be OK.”
Asked whether the club could look to recall goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from his loan spell at Bournemouth, Maresca said: “No, absolutely not.”
Chelsea’s poor form, which has seen them slip out of the top four having been two points behind leaders Liverpool on December 22, has coincided with speculation during the January transfer window linking a number of their players with moves away.
“Hundred per cent it could affect (form),” said Maresca. “I’ve said many times, they are human beings.
“Even if they say ‘no I’m professional, I’m focused on this’, in the end if they are talking about you and about different clubs, probably the focus is not a hundred per cent.”
