According to a report by Football London on Monday, November 2, 2026, Chelsea have received a significant boost following their 2-0 victory over Manchester United, with Mike Penders' recent performances easing the pressure on head coach Xabi Alonso to rush Emiliano Martínez back from injury.

The 21 year old Belgian goalkeeper has impressed in his recent appearances, giving Chelsea confidence that they can allow Martínez enough time to recover before returning to competitive action.

Penders was handed an opportunity in the first team after Martínez suffered a fractured jaw during Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Everton on October 17.

However, the young goalkeeper initially struggled to adapt to the demands of Premier League football. During Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, he punched a corner into his own net, allowing the visitors to score the opening goal.

Despite the costly mistake, Alonso publicly supported Penders and encouraged him to learn from the experience rather than allow it to affect his confidence.

The Belgian has since responded positively, producing encouraging performances against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Although Chelsea eventually lost their Carabao Cup encounter with Liverpool, Penders delivered an impressive display, making several important saves and denying Ryan Gravenberch from the penalty spot during the shootout.

He continued his improvement against Manchester United, helping Chelsea secure a clean sheet in their 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

One of his standout moments came towards the end of the match when he produced an excellent fingertip save to divert Bryan Mbeumo's powerful long range effort onto the crossbar.

Alonso was pleased with the goalkeeper's development and particularly praised his performances in the matches against Liverpool and Manchester United.

"Not just today, I think that in Liverpool he was really solid, he had a very good performance, very stable for a 'keeper and today he has shown a good level," the Chelsea manager said.

He added: "Another clean sheet, the second one in three games and we need to keep going. Mike has overcome the difficult moment that we got here last Saturday and this is part of the development of a goalkeeper, of any player."

Meanwhile, Martínez could return sooner than initially expected, although he may need to wear a protective mask when he resumes playing.

With Penders demonstrating that he can handle the responsibility of being Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper, the club have greater flexibility over Martínez's recovery.

Rather than rushing the Argentine international back into action, Alonso can give him additional time to recover fully while continuing to rely on the young Belgian between the posts.