‘My situation for the season is fantastic. To have Cech and Courtois, the best young goalkeeper in the world and one of the top three or five experienced keepers, for me and Chelsea it’s perfect.’

‘There’s no story. One will play and Chelsea will be in safe hands for good because both are very good players.’

"I don’t want to sit on the bench. I always give my best and obviously that is all I can do. I will do my best and do everything I can do to be as ready as possible for when the season starts."

"Jose Mourinho will make his choice and decide how his team is going to look for the first game, second game, third game, whatever game."

"It is up to us players to show we are ready to play and make him pick us. I am doing everything I can to make him pick me."

"We have competition for places all over the pitch."

"This is a club that wants to be strong and have real possibilities to compete for trophies so we need competition in every place."

"I know Mark Schwarzer is a very good goalkeeper, very stable, a group man, completely ready to be our second goalkeeper like he was last season when we needed him to play."

"So if he is our second goalkeeper we feel very safe with him, but to have Petr and Thibaut together in the same squad is a good problem for me."

"I have to do what I think is the best and the fact we have two fantastic goalkeepers is not a problem for me. I was never afraid to make decisions and in the end it will be my decision and not that of anybody else."

"They have to work and work hard and wait for my decision, then fight against my decision if it is against one of them. The only way to fight is to work."

"It was logical that Courtois had to be back. It would make no sense to have such a fantastic young goalkeeper and not have him back so that decision was an easy one to make. If I have to make the decision of Petr on the bench, it’s not a problem for me."

"Everybody says the same [about not wanting to be on the bench]. If somebody says I’m happy to be on the bench what are you doing here? Petr says the obvious, Courtois says the same. Mark Schwarzer is 42 and he will say he’s not happy being the third choice and will fight hard to try and be No 2 again."

"We have to think about the future of the club and I made a decision to give the goal to Courtois."

"I don’t accept that you ask me about the goalkeeper every week."

"If you do this you have to ask me every week why this right-back, why this left back or why this central defender. It’s my choice."

"You can have a discussion between you and you can have your opinion. But for me it’s just a decision and I can’t say more than I say."

"And what I say is that I have two fantastic goalkeepers. It’s just my opinion but two of the best three goalkeepers in the world."

"It’s a fantastic situation for me and for Chelsea."