A 'Courtois version' emerges at Chelsea: Alonso reveals a surprise about his young goalkeeper

After Martínez's injury

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has backed young Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders to fulfil his potential, likening him to compatriot Thibaut Courtois. The Spaniard revealed that the Real Madrid stopper sees the same resemblance.

Chelsea host Tottenham on Saturday with changes expected between the posts. Dibu Martinez has gone under the knife to treat a fractured jaw, and his absence hands Penders, 21, a fresh chance to show what he can do in the Premier League.

A Courtois lookalike

The comparison runs deeper than a shared nationality, according to Alonso, who pointed to their height, their left foot and their command of aerial balls.

"There are many similarities, not just the nationality," the Chelsea manager said. "They both have the same height, they both use the left foot, and they both dominate aerial balls."

Alonso caught up with Courtois at the World Cup and quizzed him about the youngster. "I spoke to Thibaut when he was at the World Cup and asked him about Mike, and he himself said that he sees a similarity between them," he added.

A golden opportunity

With his first-choice keeper sidelined by injury, Alonso knows Penders faces a weight of responsibility over the coming weeks and insists the club must rally round him.

"We have to help him and support him," he said. "He is a goalkeeper for the present and the future."