Chelsea's problem position and the big decision hanging over Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

Goalkeeper issue at Stamford Bridge must be addressed for next season

In Maresca’s defence, however, his Chelsea side are an evening’s stroll away from a European final and well in the mix to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish in the Premier League. The turbulence of recent years seems to have subsided.

Robert Sanchez remains their No1. He will be rested in favour of Filip Jorgensen against Djurgardens on Thursday but is expected to come back in for Sunday’s game against fourth-place Newcastle at St James’ Park.

Filip Jorgensen will start in goal against Djurgardens on Thursday

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Sanchez has made five errors leading to goals in the Premier League this season - the most of any player - and also leads the way on errors leading to shots, with a division-high nine. Such statistics go a long way to explaining why so many Chelsea fans have lost all faith with Sanchez. Though he is a decent shot-stopper on his day, his day does not nearly come around often enough. A new first-choice goalkeeper is needed.

Jorgensen seemed well-positioned to inherit that spot in time once Chelsea paid around £20million to acquire his services from Villarreal last summer.

But Jorgensen, too, has struggled. Few Chelsea fans will be able to forget his costly 89th-minute howler at Villa Park in February, when he let a routine shot by Marco Asensio squirm through. It proved the winner for Aston Villa and was not his only unforced error this season.

Jorgensen has played in all but one of Chelsea’s Conference League games, yet the opportunity has not proven a springboard for better things.

Reflecting on the criticism he and Sanchez have received this season, Jorgensen admitted on Wednesday: “Sometimes it is hard to not see it, but I try to block all of that out. [Robert] has just kept going. Goalkeepers will always make mistakes.

“When you play in such a big club, you will always deal with a lot of pressure, because the fans expect to have the best players.”

Robert Sanchez is Chelsea No1 but his position is under threat for next season

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That is certainly true at Chelsea, and given the Blues would become the first and only team to have won all four UEFA competitions (including the defunct Cup Winners’ Cup) if they lift the Conference League, supporters are not willing to settle for anything less.

That is surely likely to mean some serious considerations about Chelsea’s goalkeeping department this summer.

Jorgensen has time on his side, aged 23, but neither he nor Sanchez look particularly capable of performing at the elite level a Chelsea goalkeeper must.

Mike Penders of Genk is just 19 and joins Chelsea in June. He is a signing for the future, but for a future as soon as next season? It seems unlikely. Kepa Arrizabalaga, on loan at Bournemouth, does not have a future at Chelsea as things stand.

Djorde Petrovic has been nominated for Ligue 1 goalkeeper of the year while on loan at sister club Strasbourg and there are some at the club who hope he will be reinstated as the Chelsea No1 next season.

Whatever the answer - and Chelsea likely don’t have one themselves yet - they need a solution to a problem that has disrupted their progress all season.