Both Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois have made it abundantly clear this offseason, and even before that: the Chelsea goalkeepers have no interest in being second-choice.
With time for a move in the transfer window getting shorter and shorter, manager Jose Mourinho is not tipping his hand as to who is his starting goalkeeper... even for Monday’s opener against Burnley.
Saying “it’s a big problem for me”, Mourinho would not say who will play on Monday and added that the players don’t know, either. Mourinho claims he has two of the three best keeps in the league and that it’s a great problem for him to deal with.
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Only it isn’t. Courtois, 22, has shown his displeasure for being in these situations and gave plenty of warnings to his Chelsea boss via press conferences while starring in Atletico Madrid’s runs to the La Liga title and UEFA Champions League final.
The young Belgian goalkeeper also proved he wasn’t afraid of rocking the international boat when he claimed Simon Mignolet’s disappointment at being named his backup was a slight.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Cech is only one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in the world and not a bad age for a goalkeeper. All things equal most managers would prefer to stick with the 22-year-old, but Cech clearly has a lot of support in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge.
It’s not a pretty way to start a season as Premier League title favorite, but Mourinho will be forced into making a decision for Monday... and many big clubs across Europe will be angling to take his ‘No. 2' off his hands.
The feel is that Courtois is going to be chosen and, unless Mourinho and Cech have an understanding, the Czech star will make a move across the continent (Real Madrid would make sense). Even a short-term loan to delay the decision seems to be too rancorous, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for the Blues’ Starting XI.