Chelsea team news: Edouard Mendy will not replace Kepa Arrizabalaga for West Brom trip
Premier League fixture at the Hawthorns will come too soon for the Blues’ new goalkeeper
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Your support makes all the difference.Frank Lampard has admitted that Chelsea’s newest signing Edouard Mendy will not start against West Brom on Saturday.
The trip to the Hawthorns will likely come too soon for the goalkeeper to feature at all, following his arrival at Stamford Bridge from Rennes this week, his new coach revealed.
“He has had a long week when he has not really trained,” Lampard said on Friday.
“He flew in yesterday and it feels too tight a turnaround to put him in contention to start the game.”
Mendy, 28, has been brought in to provide competition for the struggling Kepa Arrizabalaga, though many fans are hopeful the Senegal international can be a permanent replacement for the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, who has failed to convince since signing for Chelsea in 2018.
Lampard also said Christian Pulisic’s first appearance of the season will not come against West Brom, while the same applies to new signing Hakim Ziyech.
Ziyech, who joined the Blues from Ajax this summer, injured his knee in a pre-season clash with Brighton and is yet to recover, while Pulisic is still on the mend from a hamstring issue.
“Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are not ready for the squad tomorrow,” Lampard said.
“But they are both training with us now, which is good news, and we hope to have them in proper match contention over the next week or two.”
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