Thibaut Courtois vs. Petr Cech: Who Should Start in Goal for Chelsea in 2013-14?

Chelsea have enough young talent out on loan to make a full squad of their own. Several of those players are developing at such a rate that the club are unsure what to do with them, the most notable being 21-year-old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Courtois has just won the Copa del Rey with Atletico Madrid, the third trophy that the club have collected during his two-year loan spell. As the 2012-13 season comes to a close, Courtois has set a new La Liga record for the most clean sheets in a season, with 20 shutouts. 

His remarkable form has led to speculation that he could return to Stamford Bridge a year earlier than expected in order to challenge Petr Cech for the No. 1 spot. Whether this would be beneficial to his development remains to be seen, but he will certainly present Chelsea's new manager with a pleasant headache if he is recalled.

Cech has been Chelsea's No. 1 goalkeeper since his arrival in 2004. He was brought in to act as Carlo Cudicini's understudy, before an injury to the Italian saw Cech promoted to first choice. His full debut came in a 1-0 win over Manchester United, leading him to keep his place on the teamsheet.

Despite spending four months of the 2006-07 season sidelined after an horrific head injury, Cech still holds the record for the fewest appearances needed to reach 100 clean sheets, reaching that milestone after just 180 games. Having won the Premier League, League Cup, FA Cup, Community Shield, Champions League and Europa League during his nine years in West London, Cech is looking forward to a new period of success, with the younger players at the forefront of that movement.

Chelsea conceded 81 goals in all competitions in 2012-13, partly due to the injuries and suspensions suffered by John Terry and Gary Cahill. If Jose Mourinho does indeed return to Stamford Bridge, he will want to beat the Premier League record set by his 2004-05 Chelsea side for the fewest goals conceded in a season. In addition to strengthening the back four with the addition of another centre-half, forcing Cech to compete with Courtois for his spot between the sticks could pay dividends.

The best way to assess their abilities would be to assign both 'keepers a cup competition where, barring injury, they will start every game. For the Premier League, rotating them on a bi-weekly basis according to statistics and data collated in training sessions would provide an incentive for both players to improve. Cech has faced very little competition for his position in recent years, and the opportunity to test himself against a player 10 years his junior will add an extra dimension to his training.

It is incredibly rare for goalkeepers to establish themselves as early as both Cech and Courtois have. Whilst it will lead to a lot of head-scratching amongst the hierarchy, the benefits of having two world-class goalkeepers at their disposal will surely outweigh any bad sides.