Chelsea have submitted their 25-man Premier League squad and there is a surprise inclusion, with 38-year-old Petr Cech named as emergency cover.
The goalkeeper spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge where he surpassed 300 Premier League appearances and won 13 major trophies.
Petr Cech Named In Chelsea Squad
Veteran Goalkeeper Potential Back Up
After announcing his retirement from football in 2019, Cech returned to Chelsea to become the clubs technical and performance advisor. But now, at the age of 38, manager Frank Lampard has recalled the goalkeeper to his playing squad as a non-contract player.
The Blues have three other keepers ahead of him in the shape of summer signing Edouard Mendy, record signing Kepa Arrizabalaga and 39-year-old Willy Caballero, but Lampard felt the addition of the veteran will help his team.
Kepa Conundrum
The move to recall Cech casts yet further doubt on the future of Kepa Arrizabalaga. The 26-year-old Spaniard became the clubs most expensive signing when he joined in August 2018 for a fee of €80 million.
But, the former Athletic Bilbao number one has had a torrid time in London, making numerous errors and costly mistakes along the way.
As a result, Lampard brought in Mendy from Rennes in the summer, a move that would give Kepa some much-needed competition for the jersey. But now, with the addition of Cech, the Spaniards time in London could be coming to an end.
Cech at Chelsea
There is no denying, Petr Cech is a Chelsea legend. The 38-year-old made just shy of 500 Blues appearances in all competitions. During his time at Stamford Bridge, he won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and the Community Shield twice, in addition to one Champions League and one Europa League.
However, following the arrival of Thibaut Courtois, Cech’s number one position was in doubt. As a result, he made the switch to Arsenal.
He spent four seasons in North London before announcing his retirement. His last appearance for the Gunners came in the Europa League final defeat against Chelsea.
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