Frank Lampard had admitted to being pleased with Kepa Arrizibalaga’s response after dropping him against Leicester City.
William Caballero took up the 25-year-old’s spot in the 2-2 fixture and did decently well. But not as great as expected of a club number one.
When asked if Kepa will be returning for Chelsea against Manchester United, Lampard said, “I’ve decided. You’ll find out [on Monday].” He added, “The reaction has been good, as I’d expect. [He has been] training hard, head down. I haven’t had lots of conversations with him this week and it’ll be a decision for me to make.”
Kepa has been gravely disappointing this season after his £71.6m switch from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018. There were suggestions on how the Spaniard needed a “wake-up” call to which Lampard replied, “I wouldn’t say that. I wasn’t looking for that necessarily. I think I spoke around the Leicester game and said that I have to pick the team as I see it on form in every position, so it was just a selection on that day.
“Now I know with goalkeepers there’s a bit more to it than that. We know it’s a slightly different role than everybody else. But I want everybody’s reaction all the time to be spot on and he came out the team, I know what that means, I know how that will feel for him.
“Every player has it, maybe [Lionel] Messi is the only one who doesn’t, or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, but the rest of us do. And I had it in my career many a time, it’s part and parcel of being a footballer and you have to show character in those little moments. I’ve been pleased with the reaction.”
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