Chelsea have called up Petr Cech back from retirement as the goalkeeper makes the 25-man Premier League squad for the English giants.
Chelsea have officially announced their 25-man squad for the Premier League this season and have raised a lot of eyebrows too by including Petr Cech in the side. The Czech goalkeeper, who is considered a club legend at Stamford Bridge, returns from retirement to provide emergency cover, in between the sticks.
“Petr Cech has been included in the squad as emergency goalkeeper cover. This is a precautionary step due to the unprecedented conditions currently caused by the Covid-19 crisis. He takes up a position as a non-contract player.”, the club confirmed, in an official statement.
Chelsea’s futility in the defensive department over the past 12 months have already been well documented, especially with the goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga emerging as a liability, after joining from Athletic Bilbao in a big-money transfer during the summer of 2018.
The Spaniard attained the lowest shot percentage rate in the Premier League last season, forcing the Blues to acquire the services of Edouard Mendy as an alternative this summer, with the Senegalese international joining from Rennes for a reported fee of £22 million.
Mendy was impressive in his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace, notably keeping a clean sheet. But, he picked up an injury and had to miss the Southampton game, where Kepa once again conceded three goals. Although the 28-year-old is back in training ahead of the Sevilla clash, Chelsea’s decision to call up Petr Cech does make sense.
The former Czech international, who had initially ended his career at Arsenal, had featured in almost 500 games for Chelsea. He also won 128 caps for his country while making 139 appearances for the Gunners. Since 2019, Cech has been working as an advisor for Chelsea, but it seems there is a chance we could see him returning to the field this season.
Although the club legend is behind the likes of Mendy, Kepa and even Willy Caballero in the pecking order, he would not be the oldest player in the Premier League. This feat goes to Caballero himself, who is aged 39, meaning he is a year older than Cech.
Nevertheless, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will be hoping that he won’t be needing Cech anytime soon this season. And in the meantime, the Blues will be focusing on bouncing back to winning form, following a disappointing 3-3 draw with Southampton this past weekend.
