Chelsea news: Kepa Arrizabalaga incident has made Blues stronger, claims Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri insists the incident between him and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Carabao Cup final has only made Chelsea stronger.
Kepa flat out refused to be substituted in the closing stages of the match after receiving treatment for cramp twice - infuriating his manager on the sidelines.
And the shot-stopper paid the price for his actions as he was dropped to the bench in midweek as Chelsea beat Spurs 2-0 and fined a week's wages.
But Sarri has insisted the incident has only made Chelsea stronger.
As quoted in the Sarri said: "We have to take the opportunity. Of course it was a very bad experience, but I think we can come out of the situation better than before.
"When there is a very difficult experience you can come out of it always different than before, better or worse. I think from this situation we came out better.
"For the players it was a useful experience for staying more united. And also for me, with my staff and my players. We feel closer together."
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Speaking to the media yesterday, Sarri also revealed he is still deliberating whether Kepa will start against Fulham on Sunday.
He said: “I think it was the right decision [to bench him], Kepa made a big mistake, he paid with the club, and then he had to pay with the team.
“But now I have to think we have to stop, Kepa from tomorrow will be with us. He is back in the team for the weekend, I don’t know in the next match if he will be on the pitch or not, but one of the next two he will [start].
“When you are young I think you can make mistakes, and the most important thing is that you need to understand very well after every mistake. For me, now the best thing is to close it.”
Full-back Marcos Alonso has also come under fire for his performances lately but Sarri has defended his player.
"You have to accept a player cannot stay at the top of the physical condition or mental condition for 11 months," Sarri said of the Spaniard.
"We were lucky because in that period we had a very good moment for Emerson [Palmieri]. Now I think Marcos started to return to his best."
Chelsea travel to Fulham in the hope of a victory to keep their top four hopes alive.
They are currently five points adrift of Manchester United - who beat Southampton in a five-goal thriller on Saturday.