"The most important thing is that Kepa [Arrizabalaga] deserves to play for a long time," said Thomas Tuchel ahead of what proved his final game in charge of Chelsea, a 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. "It's a new competition so maybe a good moment for Edou [Mendy] to take a breath.
"He was a bit unlucky in the last games; not even bad, just unlucky. On top of that, Edou has some problems with the patella tendon. He is not 100% fit so we took the chance to give him a break and give confidence to Kepa for this game and the next game in the Champions League."
That decision was arguably Tuchel's last major call as the Blues'' head coach. And it's one that will have ramifications for the man who has replaced him in the Chelsea dugout: Graham Potter.
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The 47-year-old was officially named Tuchel's replacement on Thursday afternoon and oversaw his first training session with the first-team squad on Friday morning. The expectation at that point was Potter's first match at the helm would come against Fulham this afternoon at Craven Cottage. That is no longer the case.
All Premier League fixtures this weekend have been cancelled following the death of The Queen. The decision was communicated yesterday, shortly after Potter had introduced himself to the Chelsea players and his first session on the lush grass at Cobham had begun.
It leaves Chelsea with four days to prepare for their Champions League clash against Red Bull Salzburg, which is still scheduled to be played on Wednesday evening at Stamford Bridge. And that unexpected time on the training pitches will undoubtedly prove invaluable for Potter as he attempts to ingrain tactical ideals into his squad.
There is also a greater opportunity for Potter to assess players and make more informed selection choices. It's unlikely the English coach takes any drastic decisions but there will be scrutiny over who lines up between the posts for his opening game in charge, whenever that is eventually played.
Mendy's form since February has been patchy. There was the high-profile error in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid last term and another early into this campaign against Leeds United at Elland Road. His display against West Ham United last weekend was far from convincing.
Could the latter be explained by injury? Perhaps. football.london understands Mendy was a serious doubt to play against Fulham had the game gone ahead as scheduled; the expectation was Kepa would continue in goal and start his first Premier League match in almost eight months.
There have been growing calls among certain supporters for the Spaniard to return to the starting XI this term given Mendy's form. It's a sign of the confidence Kepa has rebuilt over the past two years that he is seen as a viable first-choice goalkeeper for Chelsea. Although had things worked out differently during the transfer window, he would have moved on in the summer.
"He checked his options [in summer] which we were aware of," said Tuchel last weekend. "They were not satisfying for him or for us, so he stayed. I'm very happy about that. I was always very clear with him that I wanted him to stay. And from my point of view, he's absolutely ready to play. It's on us if we give him the chance or not."
Tuchel gave Kepa that chance in Zagreb, even if it was due to circumstances. He will undoubtedly hope that Potter does the same in the games ahead. Mendy, meanwhile, can point to his body of work during his time at Stamford Bridge and confidently state he is the club's No.1 stopper.
It will not be an easy call for Potter to make – and one had he arrived later in the campaign would almost certainly have been taken out of his hands. The goalkeeper he eventually settles upon will be intriguing and perhaps even give an indication of his longer-term thinking over the role.
Mendy is undeniable the better shot-stopper and a more imposing figure in the penalty area. Kepa, however, is far more assured with the ball at his feet and has a strong short-passing game, something any possession-based head coach – which Potter would class himself as – will appreciate.
Throughout the entirety of the Tuchel era, Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper was clear: Mendy. Potter will need to decide if he continues with the proverbial safe pair of hands that is the Senegal international or completes the Kepa redemption story. It is not an easy decision to make.
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