Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Filip Jorgensen is now his preferred choice as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, replacing Robert Sanchez.
Sanchez, 27, who plays for Spain, has struggled with form this season, making several costly mistakes, including one in Chelsea's 3-1 loss to Manchester City last month. Jorgensen, a 22-year-old Denmark under-21 international, started in Chelsea's 2-1 win against West Ham earlier this month. However, Sanchez returned for the FA Cup defeat to Brighton last week.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s rematch against Brighton on Friday, Maresca explained his decision: “The idea is not to change the keeper game by game. At the moment, Filip is our goalkeeper. He played in the last Premier League game against West Ham, which we won, while Robert played in the FA Cup. Right now, Filip is our first choice.”
Maresca also said that Sanchez needed some time to recover “mentally and physically” but stressed that his plan was to maintain stability in the goalkeeping position.
Chelsea were just two points behind league leaders Liverpool in mid-December but have since seen their form decline. Despite this, Maresca remains positive about his team’s progress, with Chelsea still in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
“I don’t think our progress can be overlooked because we’ve made great strides,” Maresca said. “Even though we’re out of the domestic cups, our performance in the Premier League and the Conference League has been fantastic. Our goal is to finish the season as strong as possible.”
He also highlighted that Chelsea had not finished in the top four for the past two seasons, adding: “This year, we’ve spent most of the season in the top four. It shows we’re moving in the right direction, and we’ll do our best to bring this club back to the Champions League.”
