Frank Lampard Is Pleased With The Reaction He Got Out Of Kepa By Dropping Him

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.”