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Kepa Arrizabalaga insists he 'will be ready' to take over No 1 shirt when Edouard Mendy jets off to AFCON next year following Spaniard's shootout heroics in Carabao Cup

Kepa Arrizabalaga has insisted he 'will be ready' for Chelsea in January when Edouard Mendy is likely to be away at the Africa Cup of Nations following more shoot-out heroics on Tuesday.

The Spaniard got the faintest of touches to save Theo Walcott's penalty while Will Smallbone blazed over for Southampton to give the Blues a 4-3 spot-kick victory in the Carabao Cup last-16 tie.

It was a similar story in the previous round against Aston Villa and means Thomas Tuchel's side are into the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since they lost the 2019 final to Manchester City.