- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Photo: Pure-football via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Team logos via ESPN.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has expressed confidence in Mike Penders ahead of the goalkeeper's full Premier League debut home to Tottenham on Saturday.
Penders, 21, became the youngest Premier League keeper for Chelsea after replacing injured Emiliano Martínez in a 2-0 win at Everton. Martínez, who joined from Aston Villa for £7 million ($9m) in August, underwent surgery on a fractured jaw and is out several weeks.
Alonso revealed he consulted Thibaut Courtois about Penders. The pair worked together last season at Real Madrid. Courtois sees resemblance between himself and the young Belgian, as both keepers came through Genk and moved to Chelsea while relatively unknown. Alonso highlighted parallels beyond nationality, citing stature, left-footedness and aerial dominance.
Penders, who was loaned to Strasbourg last season and made 50 appearances in all competitions, impressed in first two starts in Carabao Cup wins over Luton and Leeds. He is considered internally as the long-term No. 1 at Stamford Bridge and is expected to eventually succeed the 34-year-old Martínez. Alonso said of the veteran's recovery: "Few weeks, hopefully less than more... he's feeling better."
Source: ESPN - Fri Oct 23, 12:02 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).