Chelsea make managerial decision over who will be in charge against Fulham
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Chelsea have made their decision over who will lead the team for Wednesday's Premier League clash against Fulham.
The Blues are currently in the process of appointing a new head coach to replace Enzo Maresca, who left the club on New Year's Day after 18 months.
Chelsea Under-21s head coach Calum McFarlane took charge against Manchester City, which saw the Blues score a stoppage time equaliser, courtesy of Enzo Fernandez, to secure a point at the Etihad Stadium.
Post-match, McFarlane conceded it was unclear whether he would be in charge for the Fulham match at Craven Cottage, with the decision relying on if Chelsea managed to confirm their new appointment.
That appointment is set to be Liam Rosenior of BlueCo partner club RC Strasbourg. Rosenior flew to London on Sunday evening and held talks with the Chelsea hierarchy on Monday as talks advanced towards an agreement.
However, Rosenior's appointment will not see him take charge of Chelsea against Fulham, meaning his first match is likely to come against Charlton Athletic on Saturday night in the FA Cup.
It has been widely confirmed that McFarlane will take charge of pre-match preparations for Fulham and he will be in the dugout for another game.
He will hope to build on their point against Man City as Chelsea look to claim a second league win in nine games.
Meanwhile, as reported by Peter Rutzler of The Times, Rosenior has flown back to Strasbourg and will hold a press conference with French media on Tuesday morning, which is expected to be a farewell briefing.
After the late leveller against Man City in his first ever senior match in charge, McFarlane expressed his pride at the 'great experience' of leading the Blues at the Etihad.
"Yeah, it was a great experience," he said. "It was a great game to be a part of. I'm really proud of the players and how they performed, especially in the second half. And yeah, great occasion."
McFarlane proved he was tactically up to it against Man City. He will get another chance to prove his credentials in the west London derby as he bows out ahead of Rosenior's arrival.
Matt Debono leads the editorial team which covers Chelsea On SI. He has witnessed Chelsea win it all, whilst also featuring on ITV News, SPORTbible and various other publications.