Kepa Arrizabalaga earns Spain recall after lengthy national team absence

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s statistically excellent season has been recognized back in his native land, with the Chelsea goalkeeper earning a recall to the Spain national team for the upcoming international break.

This is Kepa’s first official call-up since 2020, though he was on the standby list to go to the World Cup in Qatar with the team had one of the players ahead him suffered a last-minute injury or unavailability. That didn’t happen, but now Kepa’s back with the team anyway, and it’s no less than what he’s deserved for his remontada this season.

Unai Simón was ahead of Kepa for the World Cup, but the current Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper’s suffering from an Achilles problem, so he’s out. Brentford’s David Raya and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Robert Sánchez — both linked with Chelsea over the past year, incidentally — are the two other goalkeepers in the squad.

Congrats, Kepa!