Lampard hails the keeper who seems to have Mend-ed Blues’ defensive problems

FRANK LAMPARD says Edouard Mendy looks the “complete” package after finally solving Chelsea’s keeper crisis.

Blues’ No.1 Mendy will face former club Rennes in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge tonight, and his £22million move already looks a great piece of business.

Mendy became the first Chelsea keeper since Petr C ech in

2004 to start his Premier League career with three consecutive clean sheets and has only conceded once in six games.

Blues boss Lampard signed Mendy to solve his defensive problems, as £76m keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has struggled in English football, and kept making mistakes.

But Lampard must now feel Mendy has justified his faith , especially as the 28-year-old earned glowing praise from

Chelsea technical adviser Cech, who became the club’s greatest keeper of all time, having also joined from Rennes.

Lampard, who put the Blues’ Jorginho ( below) and C esar Azpilicueta (bottom left) through their paces in training yesterday, said: “What he has shown so far has been very complete and those clean sheets have shown big parts of his game.

“He’s made saves in games that have certainly helped us and, if goals had have gone in, the games could have gone the other way. Against Manchester United, particularly the first-half save from Marcus Rashford with his feet, he was really top class.

“He’s g iv e n of f a sense of calm in his distribution and his coming for crosses – things you just want from your goalkeeper and he’s done that. But

I’m sure he’ll improve.

“He’s settling in still to the group, but I don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves, because it’s been a really good start for him.

“I think th ere is going to be a lot more