Liam Rosenior has warned Chelsea's goalkeepers that he does not operate with a recognised No 1, meaning Robert Sanchez will have to earn his spot under the club's new head coach.

Rosenior, 41, was installed as Enzo Maresca's successor earlier this month after impressing at the Blues' sister club, Strasbourg. His arrival has coincided with the January transfer window, meaning he would, theoretically, be able to make changes to the squad he inherited from Maresca, though it remains to be seen if Chelsea will be active this month.

Sanchez's position in the team has once again come under scrutiny after the Spain international made two glaring errors in the 3-2 League Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday night, which was Rosenior's second game at the helm.

• Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd confident on Baleba, PSG want Fernandez, Arsenal and Liverpool latest

• Aston Villa close on Tammy Abraham return with £50m transfer sacrifice

And when the new Blues chief was asked if Sanchez would remain as first-choice, he made it clear that nobody was guaranteed a spot in his XI. He explained: “It’s the same for every position. I’m here to assess every position. I don’t have No 1s or No 2s. That’s not how I work. If you look at me at every club, there has to be competition. I work on performance, not just in the goalkeeping department, but every position on the pitch.

“You have to earn your spot in this team. I have a very good squad. That’s the message to all of the players. I don’t have guaranteed No 1s or No 9s. They have to earn their place in the team.”

Sanchez, 28, has divided opinion often since joining Chelsea from Brighton in 2023 and there were calls for him to be replaced after an error-strewn 2024-25 campaign. The Blues subsequently pursued a deal for Mike Maignan, only to eventually walk away from negotiations with AC Milan over their experienced keeper.

Filip Jorgensen, Chelsea's No 2 under Maresca, has attracted transfer interest from West Ham this month. He played in Rosenior's first game, a 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic of the Championship in the FA Cup.

Rosenior's stance on not having a set No 1 echo comments previously made by the Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, who insisted he had 'two No 1's' after signing David Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale back in the summer of 2023. The Spaniard went on to replace Ramsdale in the team, with the England keeper moving on the following year.

“To be better [as a team], the environment has to be better,“ Arteta said shortly after Raya's arrival, initially on loan from Brentford.

“When you have to be at 100% every day, believe me, your level increases.

“We have two great goalkeepers, just like we have two great left wingers, two great holding midfielders, two great strikers. There is no number one - not in any position.“

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.