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Chelsea to be without Kepa Arrizabalaga until after World Cup

:Headline: Chelsea to be without Kepa Arrizabalaga until after World Cup:
Chelsea boss Graham Potter confirms that goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will not play again before the World Cup due to a foot injury.
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Chelsea manager Graham Potter has conceded that goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will be absent until after the World Cup with a foot injury.

The Spaniard had been out in the cold at Stamford Bridge before managing to become Potter's first-choice goalkeeper, demoting Edouard Mendy down to the bench.

Kepa has put in a string of impressive performances for Chelsea in the current season, but he came off with a foot injury in the 4-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

The world's most expensive goalkeeper was subsequently absent from the midweek Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb, with Mendy returning in between the sticks.

Delivering a team news update to the media ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Arsenal, Potter admitted that Kepa would not be available until Chelsea return to action on Boxing Day.

"Kepa, no. It's his plantar fascia, the bottom of his foot. I don't think he'll play before the World Cup," Potter told reporters at his pre-game press conference.

As a result, the former Athletic Bilbao man will not be available for Sunday's clash with Arsenal and will also miss meetings with Manchester City and Newcastle United in the EFL Cup and Premier League before the World Cup break.

Kepa remained second choice under Thomas Tuchel at the start of the season, but he has since made six successive starts in the Premier League, keeping three clean sheets, as well as featuring in all five Champions League games before his injury.

The 28-year-old now has 52 shutouts to boast from 135 appearances for Chelsea since his world-record £72m move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018.

Kepa's injury could also impact his chances of a World Cup call-up for Spain, but the 11-cap senior international was not expected to earn a place in Luis Enrique's squad for the upcoming tournament.

Unai Simon, Robert Sanchez and David Raya have emerged as Enrique's three main shot-stoppers in recent months, and Kepa has not earned a call-up since November 2020.

The goalkeeper is one of several injury concerns for Chelsea ahead of the visit of Arsenal, as N'Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Carney Chukwuemeka are also sidelined.

Chilwell sustained a serious hamstring injury in the midweek win over Dinamo Zagreb, and Chelsea have now confirmed that the issue is serious enough to rule him out of the World Cup.

On a brighter note, Mateo Kovacic should be able to return after missing out in the Champions League as a precaution, while James is reportedly still confident of recovering in time to make himself available for the World Cup.

Chelsea occupy sixth place in the Premier League table at present, five spots and 10 points worse off than league leaders Arsenal ahead of Sunday's London derby. body check tags ::

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Read more about Kepa Arrizabalaga Graham Potter Edouard Mendy Thomas Tuchel Carney Chukwuemeka Unai Simon Luis Enrique David Raya N'Golo Kante Ben Chilwell Reece James Wesley Fofana Mateo Kovacic Robert Sanchez Football
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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
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