Petr Cech Set to Make On-Pitch Return on Monday Night

Chelsea technical and performance advisor Petr Cech is set to play his first match of football since retiring in 2019 when he lines up for the Blues' development side on Monday.

The 38-year-old hung up his gloves in 2019 to take up the backroom role at Stamford Bridge, but he has continued to train with Frank Lampard's first team and was included in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad as 'emergency cover'.

Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero all remain ahead of Cech in the pecking order, but to ensure that the club legend remains match fit and ready to step in if needed, he is set to line up for the Chelsea's development squad when they face Tottenham on Monday, scrum cap and all.

The Athletic's Liam Twomey notes that Blues head of youth development, Neil Bath, recommended that Cech start the game to give him a taste of competitive action for the first time in 18 months.

This will not be a regular thing for Cech. He is only playing because regular goalkeeper, Lucas Bergstrom, played for Chelsea's Under-18s on Saturday and the Blues do not want the Finn to play twice in such quick succession.

19-year-old Karlo Ziger could have featured, but he is currently part of Lampard's first-team bubble and allowing him out to play with the development squad would mean Ziger would need to pass another COVID-19 test before returning.

Ziger's role in the senior side means Cech is effectively seen as the fifth-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge, which reinforces the Blues' point that Cech will only ever be used as an absolute last resort.

That means Chelsea would have to lose Mendy, Arrizabalaga, Caballero and Ziger at the same time for Cech to make a return for the Blues' first team, but stranger things have happened and the COVID-19 outbreak has proven that injury crises are entirely possible.

Cech, who is younger than Caballero, has stayed fit by training with Lampard's side and semi-regularly playing ice hockey with local club Guildford Phoenix.

He will now bring his expertise to an Under-23 side who sit third in the Premier League 2, two points behind leaders Blackburn but with a game in hand.

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