Chelsea goalkeepers Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois.
AFP/London
Jose Mourinho knows he faces a tough job keeping both Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea when he finally decides which will be the club’s number one goalkeeper.
Yesterday, Mourinho described the pair as two of the best three goalkeepers in the world and revealed he has yet to announce his line-up for the opening Premier League game at newly-promoted Burnley.
Cech, 32, has been the established first choice for the last 10 years but finds himself under pressure from Courtois, 22, who is back at Stamford Bridge after spending the last three years on loan at Atletico Madrid.
Mourinho accepts it will be hard to keep both players happy throughout the campaign - and both have been linked with moves away if they miss out on the top job.
The Chelsea manager insists the club has yet to receive an approach for Cech or Courtois but accepts that situation could change.
But he said: “In this moment I don’t want to think about it. There is not an offer, so not a possibility.
“I’m working with them and I told them as a group today, everyone of my players in the squad I’m happy to have them.
“I’m not waiting for anything. It’s not good to analyse something that isn’t on the table. Every manager in the world would like to have Courtois and Cech.”
And referring to the possibility there could be more comings and going during the final weeks of the transfer market, Mourinho said: “The market is open and experience says we never can say what will happen.
“You never know if a player has a different reaction or opinion in this last part of the month or if any club tries to do something with our players.”
The manager is pleased, though, to be confronted with the problem of choosing between two top ‘keepers.
He added: “The only thing I can say is in this moment they are working well and hard and we are so happy to have them both.”