Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga hopes to play in World Club Cup final

Kepa Arrizabalaga is sweating on his place in the World Club Cup final in Abu Dhabi on Saturday despite his outstanding performance in the semi-final and his fine form deputising for Chelsea while Eduoard Mendy was away winning the African Nations with Senegal.

But the Basque keeper has made a strong case to be retained after changing his style under the guidance of Chelsea goalkeeping coaches Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario and Chelsea will struggle to keep him this summer as a No 2, with a move back to Spain likely given recent form.

If Kepa does lose his place in the final to Mendy, who met up with the squad in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday after flying in from the exuberant celebrations in Dakar, then he will almost certainly still come on in the event of a penalty shoot-out.

Thomas Tuchel subbed Mendy in September's UEFA Super Cup final against Valencia and brought on Kepa, who subsequently saved two penalties as Chelsea won the shoot out 6-5. 

Tuchel, who is awaiting two negative Covid tests so that he can be released from isolation in the UK and board a private jet out here, is expected to do the same on Saturday night and use Kepa against Palmeiras if it comes down to penalties.

Yet Kepa could yet keep his place and the club has been hugely impressed with the manner in which he responded to the Mendy's arrival at the club, working hard with Cech and Hilario to move from a more Spanish style, deeper in his goal to come off his line more and play in a higher position.

Having arrived at Chelsea for a world record fee for a goalkeeper of £71million in 2018, Kepa struggled for form in his second season and lost his place when Mendy arrived in 2020. 

Yet working with Hilario and Cech, Kepa has regained his confidence and his