Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga says retaining his focus is crucial as he acts as cover for Edouard Mendy.

Kepa has seen action this season, despite Mendy being manager Thomas Tuchel’s No1.

He told the club’s website: “It’s very important, you have to be ready. You have to be ready for yourself, you have to be ready for the team, also because it’s your job to be ready always, no?

“It’s not easy when you’re not playing, everybody wants to play, but the best way I’m trying to do it is push every day hard. Just push yourself every day in the training and be positive. I know sometimes it is not easy, but you have to be very strong mentally.

“When I have the opportunity, like in the cups, or like I did in the league against Tottenham, when I come in I do my best to take the opportunity and give everything to make the manager have a hard decision.”

Kepa also said: “I think we have high quality here in all the positions. We have a very good squad. Every game, on the bench, there are big players, lots of internationals, but it’s what we need.

“I think we will have a lot of games, hopefully, during the season. We will have to be ready, everybody, because everybody will have their moment and we need that. We need everybody being pushed hard in training, pushing each other, and I think we are doing that.

“We have a good atmosphere in the team. Obviously everybody wants to play and everybody wants to play every Saturday, but it’s also important to accept the manager’s decisions, to keep pushing and to be ready to take the opportunity when you have it.”