11:00PM BST 08 Oct 2012
Lloris, the France captain, ended Brad Friedel’s remarkable 310-game sequence of consecutive Premier League starts in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa, but Villas-Boas immediately talked of “rotation” and stressed that he had not decided who would start in their next match against Chelsea.
Villas-Boas also said he was sure that Friedel would return to the team “as soon as possible”. Lloris has now joined up with France ahead of international matches over the next eight days against Japan and France but clearly believes that he is most likely to produce his best if he has a regular place.
“I was used to playing every three days in Lyon,” he said. “Necessarily, to progress, to be effective, it’s better to play every week with his team. I hope to play more and more to be at my best. When you sign at the last minute, it’s never easy. I still need a few games to find the rhythm.
“Over the past month, I’ve played only three games. It takes a little more concentration, especially working at training. I try to compensate but what matters is the game at the weekend.”
Villas-Boas did personally speak with Friedel to explain his decision to
select Lloris and it is understood that the American was told that his
first-team career was still far from over. Friedel’s performances so far
this season have been described as “immense” by Villas but he is 16 years
older than Lloris, who is
It was poor,” said Lloris. “It could have been dangerous, but the striker (Christian Benteke) put his header off target, fortunately for us.
“It was an important game for me, an introduction to the Premier League after three to four weeks of waiting and working. Whether with Brad, goalkeeping coaches or even with the manager, everything has gone well.”
