According to a report by Football London on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, Chelsea have a tough schedule of games coming up, and Jason Cundy is worried about Mike Penders. However, Cundy thinks Josh Acheampong can be an important player for the club.

In a post-Everton performance review, the former Chelsea defender lauded Acheampong and spoke about Penders' preparedness to replace Emi Martinez.

After Martinez's jaw surgery, which he underwent after a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, was successful, he will likely be out until December.

With him out of the lineup, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will likely give goalkeeper Matt Penders more playing time.

In Saturday's match against Everton, the young goalkeeper broke Lenny Pidgeley's record for the youngest Premier League goalkeeper by two weeks.

As Penders matures, though, Cundy anticipates that there may be challenging times ahead.

He stated: "He's still very much learning his trade" while appearing on the Spurs Chat podcast. Now he'll have consecutive starts, which will benefit him greatly but also lead to some blunders.

Some wrinkles will need to be smoothed out. I felt he was a tad too eager to get off the bench and score against Everton. Near the very edge of the box, he landed a punch.

Cundy admitted that the goalkeeper could benefit from more playing time, but he also said that it would be worthwhile to watch how he adjusted to the added responsibility.

The former defender was far more upbeat about Acheampong's progress, even though he had reservations about Penders.

Alonso lauded the England U-21 international's versatility after he played well in a hybrid defensive position on the right against Everton.

The academy grad was praised by Cundy for his immense potential as a player, who emphasized his adaptability to the team's defensive setup.

He is now playing in the back four. Lacroix and Colwill are now his center duo. The player who played right back against Everton, Josh Acheampong, is absolutely magnificent; he's adjusted wonderfully.

The upcoming schedule for Chelsea is tough, as they must first beat Tottenham, then take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, and finally face Manchester United.