Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo expects the club to name a new manager “as soon as possible” after parting company with Jose Mourinho.
However Emenalo suggested this weekend’s clash with Sunderland is likely to come too soon for the club to have confirmed a new manager, whether that individual be tasked with a short-term firefight or long-term rebuild.
A run of nine defeats in 16 league games, their worst start to a season since they were relegated in the 1978/79 season, saw the club agree to terminate Mourinho’s four month contract just over seven months after he had led them to the title.
The move has not been universally backed, with over half of Standard Sport’s readers saying that the winner of three league trophies with Chelsea should have been given more time.
With the Christmas fixture list throwing up challenging away trips to Manchester United and Crystal Palace in a run of three games in nine days Chelsea are keen to have a new manager in place at the earliest possible opportunity, though their technical director warned no new manager will be in place for the Sunderland match.
“You're not a big club unless you don't have contingency plans,” Emenalo told the club website.
“We are a big club who have quality coaches embedded in the club and we will be OK for Saturday. The club is working vigorously and actively to make sure the situation regarding the managerial appointment is taken care of as soon as possible.”
The Premier League defeats which cost Jose Mourinho his job at Chelsea
Guus Hiddink is expected to be named interim manager at Stamford Bridge, a role he successfully took up in 2009 when he guided a struggling side to third place and an FA Cup crown.
Chelsea’s long-term targets remain Diego Simeone and Pep Guardiola, though it is unlikely the club will be able to extricate them from Atletico Madrid or Bayern Munich in the coming weeks.
