By Ashton Cox
Enzo Maresca has confirmed that he has dropped Robert Sanchez as number one goalkeeper.
The Spanish goalkeeper has made five errors leading to goals this season, which is joint first alongside Ipswich’s Arijanet Muric.
Until last week, Maresca continued to support Sanchez in press conferences and in his team selection.
However, the inclusion of Filip Jorgensen in goal for the West Ham United match had fans wondering whether Sanchez had finally been dropped, which is now confirmed.
Maresca said: “The idea is not game by game to change the ‘keeper. In the last Premier League game against West Ham, it was Filip and then in the FA Cup game, it was Robert but our ‘keeper in this moment is Filip.
“This is the situation now and then we will see the situation. In this moment, it is like this.”
Reece James will return to the matchday squad following his exclusion from the team in last week’s FA Cup tie against Brighton.
There were concerns that James had another fitness or injury issue just weeks after returning from a second injury this season, but Maresca has said the plan remains to ease him back.
He said: “Reece is okay. Against Brighton in the FA Cup, it was planned to give him a rest. He had some more rest in the last days but he is available.”
Chelsea’s recent Premier League record of two wins in eight games has seen them slip from second place before Christmas to danger of missing out on Champions League qualification.
However, Maresca isn’t concerned with this as he insists a top four finish was never the aim this season.
He said: “I didn’t say our target was top four. The club never told me the target was top four. When I signed here, the target was in two years playing in the Champions League, not in one year.
“I’m not looking at May or June, I’m looking game by game how we can improve.”