Premier League Rumors: Lampard Impressed With Kepa Attitude But Caballero Remains

There remains no clarity on the actual status of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalag. It was initially believed that the discussions he had with manager Frank Lampard were meant to thresh out things but the alleged wake-up call reasoning is not what it as all about after all.

No other than Lampard said in an interview that it was not something he was necessarily looking for. Instead, it appears that he wanted to align Kepa with his vision going forward. From there, the Blues manager may have been testing the 25-year-old goalkeeper, wanting to see how he would react to his outlook. It appears he was pretty impressed at the reaction of the world's most expensive goalkeeper although he did not mention an immediate reinstatement to active duty.

"The reaction has been good, as I'd expect. [He has been] training hard, head down. I haven't had lots of conversations with him this week and it'll be a decision for me to make," Lampard said.

Lampard continues to find and stick with the right mix for the Blues to remain at a competitive level. Against Leicester City, he stuck with Willy Caballero. Next up for Chelsea is Manchester United with most waiting once again if Lampard will revert back to Kepa. He has made a decision and Lampard said that everyone will just have to wait and see on Monday.

For the 41-year-old manager, a player's reaction is valuable since it does show his character. For him, there are only a few who are exempted. That includes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. For Lampard, it is part of the part and parcel of being a football player, the ability to show character in little moments.

Chelsea may be in for a tough match against United with several players out. That includes Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek who are certain to be out. Also, Tammy Abraham remains questionable against the Red Devils as he continues to recover from an injury.

As for Kepa, it would be hard to predict when he will be back as Chelsea's starting goalkeeper. Considering the money that the Blues invested on him, Lampard needs to find a way to utilize him and avoid making things complicated. The undisclosed reaction may be good news but who knows what else is going in the mind of the Spanish goalkeeper moving forward?