Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli spoke about his likely involvement ahead of Sunday’s friendly match against Aston Villa in the United Arab Emirates.
The 30-year-old is one of the three goalkeepers in Chelsea’s 25-man squad for their warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi, alongside Kepa Arrizabalaga and academy shot-stopper Eddie Beach.
Considering Arrizabalaga’s injury, Bettinelli is likely going to start in the game against Villa, while Beach may get some minutes as well.
The English goalkeeper is currently the third-choice goalkeeper at Chelsea, behind Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy and rarely makes an appearance.
The last time he featured in a competitive game was in the 5-1 FA Cup third-round win over Chesterfield back in January.
It is hardly a surprise that he is looking forward to play against Unai Emery’s men this weekend.
“For the last two seasons, minutes have been few and far between for me,” the former Fulham player told Chelsea’s official website.
“I am looking forward to the match today.
It is only a friendly, but it is still Aston Villa, and a fresh chance to show the manager what you can do personally.
“We’re really looking forward to it. It should be a good day, so let’s finish the week with a positive result.”
Speaking about the training camp, Bettinelli added: “It’s been good. Whenever you come away to warmer weather, it is always a good feeling, and it feels a little bit like a break from everyday life at Cobham.
“It has been great watching the World Cup at the same time, watching the boys perform.”
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