Rio Ferdinand names Chelsea star as someone he’d loved to have played with

Rio Ferdinand is impressed with Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy
Rio Ferdinand is impressed with Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy

Rio Ferdinand has praised Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for his strong performances for the Blues.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand said:

"Mendy would be a ‘keeper, if I were to pick a ‘keeper to play behind me, he would be one of my top two, three picks in the world. Easy."

His comments came on the back of the Chelsea goalkeeper's brilliant performance against Liverpool last weekend. Mendy produced some world-class saves throughout the match that ended 2-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Mendy's mighty saves against Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane kept Chelsea in the match and helped them earn a point against Liverpool last weekend. He will now be unavailable for the next four league fixtures due to the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Senegalese stopper will be back for Matchday 26 to represent Chelsea. Mendy was signed by the club back in 2020 for £22 million. Overall, the Chelsea goalkeeper has played 70 games for the club, keeping 37 clean sheets for the Blues.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is expected to fill in for Mendy during the latter's absence. The Spanish stopper is one of the most expensive recent signings at Chelsea.

Arrizabalaga's poor form under Frank Lampard saw him demoted to the bench. However, he has done well under Tuchel when given the chance. He will be keen to use these games to improve his reputation in Chelsea colors.


Romelu Lukaku issues apology to Chelsea fans

Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku upset the Chelsea faithful with his controversial interview on Sky Italia. The saga has dominated the headlines in recent weeks.

The Belgian spoke about not wanting to leave Inter Milan last summer and also added that Chelsea were not his first choice. Lukaku further hinted at his desire to return to Italy and expressed his unhappiness with Thomas Tuchel's tactics at Chelsea.

Needless to say, the interview did not go down well with Chelsea and the Belgian has now apologized to the club and their fans. In an interview conducted by the Blues, Lukaku regretted causing hurt to the Chelsea faithful, his teammates, his coach and the club hierarchy.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed that the player will be fined for his actions but he considers the matter to have ended now. Chelsea's next match is against Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are interestingly managed by Antonio Conte, Lukaku's boss at Inter Milan.

The two London rivals are set to clash in the Carabao Cup semifinals and the aforementioned angle will only make it more interesting.

Overall, Lukaku has scored seven goals in 18 games for the club this season.

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Edited by Anantaajith Raghuraman