Enzo Maresca has made his decision regarding Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper following Robert Sanchez’s recent high-profile errors.

Enzo Maresca has revealed his decision on Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper following Robert Sanchez’s recent notable mistakes.

By Bobo On Feb 13, 2025

0

Share

Enzo Maresca has officially announced his selection for Chelsea’s primary goalkeeper for the upcoming games.

It was previously assumed that the Portuguese manager was still considering his options for the goalkeeper role due to a series of costly errors from Robert Sanchez.

In Chelsea’s January matches, the Spanish goalkeeper received criticism for his lack of confidence in goal, especially after his involvement in Manchester City’s second goal during a 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium.

Despite fan backlash, with calls for Filip Jorgensen to be given a chance, Maresca initially defended Sanchez and reaffirmed his trust in him. However, on Thursday, the Chelsea manager confirmed that Jorgensen would now take over as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, giving Sanchez time to recover mentally and physically.

Maresca explained his decision: “I mentioned that starting Filip against West Ham was also about giving Robert some time to regain his mental and physical sharpness. The plan is not to rotate goalkeepers from game to game. Right now, Filip played in our last Premier League match against West Ham, which we won, while Robert featured in the FA Cup. At this moment, our starting goalkeeper is Filip.”

Chelsea is currently fourth in the Premier League with 43 points, four points behind Nottingham Forest. They had a strong start to the season, just two points behind leaders Liverpool in mid-December, but their form significantly dropped in early 2025.

Sanchez faced frequent criticism from fans due to his mistakes, including one against Wolves when he fumbled a cross from a corner, allowing Matt Doherty to score in the 45th minute at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca also discussed his conversation with Sanchez about the decision: “I spoke with Robert a few days before the West Ham match when I made the call to start Filip. Since then, I haven’t discussed it with him again, nor with Filip. They both understand the situation, and we’ll see how things develop.”

Jorgensen, a 22-year-old Danish goalkeeper, arrived at Chelsea from Villarreal in the summer of 2024 for £20.7 million. He was brought in as a good fit for Maresca’s tactical system, particularly with Kepa Arrizabalaga spending the season on loan at Bournemouth.

So far, Jorgensen has made three Premier League appearances, conceding four goals. He played a significant role in Chelsea’s journey to the Conference League round of 16, featuring in all eight group-stage matches. He is now expected to start again in Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League game against Brighton at the American Express Stadium on Friday night.