FINAL FLING

New boy must wait as Kepa enters last- chance saloon

FALL GUY: Kepa in training yesterday

Frank Lampard looks set to stick with Kepa Arrizabalaga and give the error- prone Spain keeper one last chance at West Brom today.

Chelsea boss Lampard has spoken to Kepa and Willy Caballero ahead of the trip to The Hawthorns.

But it would seem that new £ 22m signing Mendy has been brought in to try and shake- up the dynamic between the three keepers.

Lampard said: “There’s no clarity on that one yet about what will happen and I’m not going to speak about the maybes or what might happen in the future.

“I think the most important thing now is the game this weekend, which Mendy won’t be involved in.

“I will have conversations with all the goalkeepers and be very open about it and we’ll see the way to move forward. With the dynamic of the goalkeepers, we know we’ve had problems in the goalkeeping area in the first two games of the season and at times last year.

“We can be very honest and open about that – and Kepa himself – in that search for the best performance levels.

“Mendy comes in to be competition in that area. I don’t want to talk about No. 1s, twos and threes at the minute because we’re not in that position.”

The keeper situation has been one of Lampard’s toughest tests because, clearly, Chelsea do not want to give up on the £ 71m paid for Kepa two years ago.

But Kepa has dropped major clangers in both of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season and is struggling for form and confidence.

Petr Cech, the club’s technical and performance adviser – and former keeper – championed the signing of Mendy and Lampard said he welcomes his advice.

He said: “Petr has his job but he’s also at times helping with the goalkeepers. Why would you not tap into having the best keeper in the world, which he was for a long time, to pass on that knowledge?”

DEAL: Edouard Mendy