Penders set for Tottenham start as Martínez faces weeks out
Emi Martínez’s jaw fracture and surgery are expected to sideline him for several weeks, putting 21-year-old Mike Penders in line to start against Tottenham before Chelsea’s League Cup trip to Liverpool.
Penders steps up before Chelsea face Liverpool
This Is Anfield reports that Martínez broke his jaw in a clash of heads during Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Everton. After more than eight minutes of treatment, the goalkeeper was stretchered off and taken to hospital; Penders replaced him for the final 15 minutes.
The youngster helped Chelsea secure their first Premier League clean sheet in nine months. His short appearance now leads into a demanding stretch, with Tottenham due at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, October 24, before Chelsea travel to Anfield to meet Liverpool in the League Cup on Wednesday, October 28.
Our latest update on Martínez’s injury puts the immediate selection issue into focus: Chelsea must cover for a first-choice goalkeeper expected to miss several weeks, although the report gives no precise return date.
This is an early competitive audition, but not Penders’ first senior work for Chelsea. Before coming on at Everton, he had made two senior appearances, both in cup wins against Luton and Leeds.
Chelsea regard him as their backup and designated cup goalkeeper. He spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, and the report describes him as a potential future No. 1 for Belgium. His 15 minutes at Everton also mean he will have had Premier League action before the Liverpool tie.
The sequence gives Penders a chance to build experience quickly: he is expected to start against Tottenham, then take on Liverpool at Anfield. The clean sheet at Everton offered a positive start, but these fixtures will bring a much larger test than closing out the final minutes of a win.
There may be changes in the opposition’s line-up, too. This Is Anfield expects Liverpool to rotate, with Giorgi Mamardashvili among those forecast to feature. The outlet says Liverpool will be six matches into a run of nine in 29 days by the time Chelsea visit.
For Chelsea, the immediate plan is clear: Penders is expected to start against Tottenham, then face Liverpool four days later. Martínez’s recovery remains open-ended beyond the expectation that he will be out for several weeks.
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