Why Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez Won’t be Suspended for a Single Premier League Game

Chelsea’s No. 1 was sent off for a rash challenge on Bryan Mbeumo at Old Trafford.

Robert Sánchez saw red against Man Utd. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Robert Sánchez has long been regarded by so many as no more than a stop-gap for Chelsea between the posts, with errors and lapses of concentration so often undermining impressive runs of form. Enzo Maresca pivoted to Filip Jörgensen at one point last season, but the Dane’s egregious mistake at Villa Park rendered Sánchez’s job safe for the time being.

And while Chelsea were strongly linked with Mike Maignan and, to a lesser extent, Gianluigi Donnarumma in the summer, Maresca retained his faith in Sánchez after an excellent Club World Cup campaign.

The goalkeeper’s form from the United States had permeated into 2025–26, but then arrived one of those vintage Sánchez horror moments that undid plenty of recent good. His lunge on Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo left Chelsea a man down just five minutes in, and their subsequent 2–1 defeat was ultimately facilitated by the goalkeeper’s lapse of judgement.

However, Sánchez will be able to line up for the Blues in their next Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday. Here’s why.

---

Why Robert Sánchez Won’t Miss a Single Premier League Game

Sanchez was sent off early on in Saturday’s clash at the Theatre of Dreams. / Alex Livesey/Getty Images

While Sánchez saw red at Old Trafford, he will only receive a one-game ban. The goalkeeper was sent off for the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity, not violent conduct, even though his challenge on Mbeumo was quite high.

Players are typically suspended for at least three matches if they’re sent off in the Premier League for violent conduct.

As a result, Sánchez is only banned for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup third-round clash at Lincoln City on Tuesday night—a fixture he likely wouldn’t have played anyway. Jörgensen replaced the Spaniard after his red card, and the Dane will get the nod at the LNER Stadium in midweek, with Maresca poised to ring the changes from Saturday’s XI.

While the Chelsea boss was understandably frustrated with his goalkeeper for his costly dismissal, Maresca will probably return Sánchez to his team for Brighton’s visit next week.

---

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE

feed