Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso insists he still has confidence in goalkeeper Mike Penders and expects the youngster will want to prove he can improve on the pitch.
The 21-year-old has been thrust into the starting XI due to Emiliano Martinez suffering a broken jaw.
Penders came off the bench in the win over Everton to make his Premier League debut and made his first start in the top flight on Saturday against Tottenham.
It was a disappointing evening for the ‘keeper as he punched the ball into his own net to hand Spurs their opener with an own goal.
Tottenham went on to win 2-0 and pick up a very rare win at Stamford Bridge, claiming three points at Chelsea for the first time since 2018.
Alonso has backed his young stopper, just as he supports another youngster in Geovany Quenda, who filled in for injured Joao Pedro with little success.
‘It’s part of the business; you need to deal with mistakes and we keep confidence in Mike,’ said the Blues boss.
‘We win and we lose together and it’s part of the job to deal with mistakes, myself as well as everyone.
‘We support Mike and Geo [Quenda] as well, the guys starting their first [Premier League] games. He will want to prove he can do better — and we also have to show that.’
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Chelsea centre-back Maxence Lacroix added on Penders: ‘He is a young goalkeeper and he has a lot of talent. He will learn from this. This can happen in football careers and in life.
‘Everyone makes mistakes, and we have to be with him and we are going to be with him. We are behind him. He will help us this season and now we have to help him.’
Defeat to Spurs continued a mixed start to the campaign for Alonso’s new-look Chelsea, which has seen them win four, draw one and lose three of their eight league fixtures.
It has been an inconsistent start for a lot of teams, though, so the Blues still sit fifth in the early table.
Martinez is expected to return in November, but will certainly be out for the next two matches before the end of October.
Those games see Chelsea travel to Liverpool on Wednesday in the League Cup last 16 and then host Manchester United on Saturday in the Premier League.
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