Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has confirmed the club’s record signing Kepa Arrizabalaga, will start tonight’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Barnsley.

Kepa arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018 as replacement for Thibaut Courtois.

The Spaniard cost the Blues a world record £72million, but has since endured a rough patch.

He has eventually been replaced as Chelsea’s first choice by Eduoard Mendy, who arrived from Rennes last summer.

Mendy has started all four of Tuchel’s matches in charge so far and conceded just once, but the 28-year-old will earn a rest this evening with the German tactician handing Kepa an olive branch.

“He [Kepa] will play [against Barnsley]. From outside, of course we had a view on his situation and some difficulties on the sporting side.

“Maybe, also, the circumstances of his transfer are a little bit on his shoulders. That was the impression from far away, from outside.

“The good thing for him is that we start new, that this is a new start for him because I don’t have a history with him and I hope there will be no difficulties and I don’t see them coming,” Tuchel said.

DailyPost