Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that Robert Sánchez will feature in the starting lineup for their Premier League clash at Arsenal on Sunday, adding that he is hoping not to change his first-choice goalkeeper until the end of the season.
Maresca dropped Sánchez after the Spaniard committed an error that led to a goal in their 3-1 defeat by Manchester City in January, with backup stopper Filip Jorgensen starting four straight Premier League games.
However, Sánchez returned to the lineup for a 1-0 league win over Leicester City last week.
“It will be Robert playing against Arsenal. Since we started, the idea was not to change keepers, but sometimes you have to modify and be flexible with your ideas,” Maresca told a news conference on Friday.
“We do this in the game plan, we do this the way we want to attack, the way we want to defend, but also we need to be flexible on players. I think Robert needed some days off, or at least some rest mentally.
“Now he’s back, hopefully we are not going to change until the end. Also because I said many times, we are quite happy with both keepers.”
“It’s our duty to do our best, but at the same time I think the target for us right now is Sunday’s game, and then game after game to see how we can get closer.”
Both sides will be without a recognised striker on Sunday, with winger Pedro Neto expected to lead the line for Chelsea in the absence of injured forward Nicolas Jackson, while Arsenal have played midfielder Mikel Merino up front in recent weeks.
“Yeah, it’s quite strange for both, because we have all of them injured, but I think they are trying to find a solution. We are trying to find a solution at the same time,” Maresca said.
“Pedro, since we started, is doing, I think, very well in that position. We’ll see if Sunday we use Pedro there or we change something.
“All the clubs during the season, they have moments where they have injuries, so they need to adapt, they need to be flexible and try to find a solution.”
