Antonio Rudiger has praised Kepa Arrizabalaga for his ‘outstanding job’ stepping in for Edouard Mendy when Chelsea’s No.1 was on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Mendy missed multiple Blues matches over January and February as he helped Senegal win AFCON for the first time in their history.
Arrizabalaga deputised well between the sticks, keeping five clean sheets for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Mendy returned in time to be selected for the Club World Cup final last weekend, as the Blues beat Palmeiras to win the trophy.
Current backup goalkeeper Arrizabalaga, who was dropped to the bench for the final, has faced criticism since his £72million move from Athletic Bilbao in 2018
In an interview with Sport1, Rudiger conceded the 27-year-old has been ‘written off by many’ but insisted the team ‘believed in him’.
‘He [Tuchel] is an absolute football expert who knows exactly what he expects from us on the pitch, and I think you can tell by looking at us. With his style, he takes the whole team with him and doesn’t forget anyone,’ said Rudiger of his manager.
‘You just have to look at the performance of our actual second goalkeeper, Kepa, in the semifinals, for example.
‘Kepa has been written off by many but has done an outstanding job replacing Edou [Mendy] in recent weeks. Also because as a team we all believed in him, what a strong goalkeeper he still is.’
On his contract situation, with the defender’s deal due to expire in the summer, Rudiger said:’ I recently emphasised that talks are taking place between my side and the club and that’s all I can say about it at the moment.
‘I can also assure you that, despite the major media issue, I will never allow myself to be distracted by current sporting events. I think you’ve seen that in the last few months.’
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