Alonso sees Courtois qualities in Chelsea’s young goalkeeper Penders
Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has backed young goalkeeper Mike Penders to replace the injured Emi Martinez, seeing similarities between him and Thibaut Courtois Read More: https://punchng.com/alonso-sees-courtois-qualities-in-chelseas-young-goalkeeper-penders/
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso noticed resemblances between young goalkeeper Mike Penders and former Chelsea star Thibaut Courtois. The 21-year-old Penders recently stepped in for injured Emi Martinez during Chelsea's match against Everton, becoming the youngest Premier League goalkeeper to make an appearance. Courtois, now at Real Madrid, played for Chelsea from 2011 to 2018, serving a three-year stint at Atletico Madrid before that.
Alonso compared the two goalkeepers, noting their left-footedness and aerial dominance, and spoke with Courtois about Penders. Alonso expressed confidence in Penders' abilities, having trained well and shown strong performance in recent games. The Chelsea coach believes Penders, currently playing for Strasbourg, is ready to step up and contribute to the team's success. Alonso also expressed optimism that injured Martinez will recover within a few weeks.
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