Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho faced a tough decision at the start of the season when he was forced to choose between Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois in goal.

Cech has been Chelsea’s 'keeper for a decade, setting a new club record for clean sheets and winning 13 trophies along the way. However, Courtois has been on the books at Chelsea since 2011 and gained valuable experience in three years on loan at Atletico Madrid.

With the Belgian a full 10 years younger than Cech, it seems as though giving him the nod was the best decision. However, there is a case to be made for Cech still having a role to play this season.

When Courtois was clattered by Alexis Sanchez during the heated London derby against Arsenal last Saturday, Cech was called upon to deputise in goal. He had very little to do, as Arsenal failed to have a single shot on target, but his presence was far more reassuring than Mark Schwarzer’s would have been.

Despite the obvious benefits of being able to replace one world-class 'keeper with another, it is too much to expect Cech to sit and wait patiently for Courtois to get concussed again.

Earlier this week, he told Czech radio, per Sky Sports:

I think they know me well enough at Chelsea to know that the situation is definitely not the way I would imagine. With the European Championships in 2016 and the national team in mind, there is no time for me to sit on the bench and not to play. I have not spoken to anybody at the club but if the situation will not start to improve for me then I will want to solve it.

That is a pretty clear indication that Chelsea’s veteran 'keeper will seek to leave the club unless he is afforded more game time, potentially as soon as in the January window. If that happens, it could be disastrous for the Blues.

There is no doubt that Courtois represents the future of the club and is already a top-class 'keeper. However, whether he realises it or not, he still has much to learn.

Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois's rivalry at Chelsea. When a picture is worth 1000 words #cfc http://t.co/MNZv1Y0Jrk pic.twitter.com/gBk9BHSEfE — Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) August 22, 2014

From my seat in the Shed End at Stamford Bridge, I have an excellent perspective on the goalkeepers, and I watch them intently when they come out at the start of the half. I have noticed this season that, for all his talent and his superhuman reach at full stretch, Courtois is a less commanding presence than Cech.

Cech has had his routine down for years. He will run the width of the six-yard box and scuff markers on the line where his posts are before taking his position between the sticks. On the other hand, Courtois does not seem to have a consistent warm-up routine, and he does not mark where his posts are, which makes his free-roaming forays off his line all the more troubling.

Courtois recently signed a contract extension, which will keep him at the club until 2019. With that done and dusted, it is time for him to face some real competition from Cech. Whether that comes in the Premier League or the Champions League is a decision for Mourinho, but restricting Cech to the Capital One Cup is insulting to a 'keeper of his quality.

The Blues have made their title ambitions for the 2014-15 season abundantly clear, and keeping Cech happy could be crucial to them achieving their aims. If he were to take his considerable skills and experience elsewhere, Chelsea would be poorer for it.

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