Alonso sees Courtois similarities in Chelsea's Penders
LONDON: Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso sees similarities to Thibaut Courtois in Mike Penders as he backed the goalkeeper to step into the void left by Emi Martinez’s injury.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso perceives parallels between Thibaut Courtois and newly acquired goalkeeper Mike Penders. Penders, a 21-year-old Belgian, assumed the role of the Blues' youngest Premier League goalkeeper after replacing injured Emi Martinez during the second half of a 2-0 victory against Everton last weekend. Courtois, a world-class keeper and former Chelsea player from 2011 to 2018, spent three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid before returning to the Spanish giants.
Both Penders and Courtois share similarities in stature, left-footedness, and dominance in the air. Alonso discussed these similarities after Chelsea's upcoming match against Tottenham.
The Belgian duo of Courtois and Penders were highlighted by Alonso, who spoke with Thibaut during the World Cup. Courtois himself remarked upon seeing the resemblance. Chelsea signed Penders two years ago, but he spent the past two seasons at Genk and then on loan at Strasbourg. Alonso is confident in Penders' abilities, stating that he is ready and has shown good levels in recent games.
The Argentina number one goalkeeper underwent an eight-minute treatment session after the Everton match but is expected to recover in a few weeks, according to Alonso. Despite the seriousness of the injury, Alonso remains optimistic about Penders' recovery and performance.
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