Enzo Maresca is increasingly likely to leave Chelsea today following a breakdown in relations with the club.
Sky Sports News understands Maresca will not be in charge of Sunday's trip to Manchester City, live on Sky Sports.
It was reported on Wednesday that the Italian head coach was in danger of losing his job if results did not improve, following a run of one win in seven Premier League games amid a backdrop of tension.
Maresca, meanwhile, has been considering his position, with the feeling it has become untenable. His contract runs until the summer of 2029, with a club option of a further year.
Key developments at Stamford Bridge are now expected on Thursday and Friday.
Were Maresca to leave, Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior would be an early favourite to replace him.
Strasbourg are a partner club of Chelsea, having been bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's BlueCo group, and Rosenior has impressed some key figures in west London after guiding the French side to a seventh-placed finish in his debut season.
Strained relations, poor results and cryptic comments
Relations have been strained between Maresca and key figures at the club going back to this time last year.
Missing his post-match press conference after a chaotic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday night was another sign of the problems behind the scenes, even though his absence was attributed to illness.
The Italian has stood by the comments he made on December 13 when he claimed that many people at the club were not supporting him or the team.
He described the days leading up to the 2-0 victory over Everton as "the worst 48 hours" of his time at the club.
Two more dispiriting and lacklustre performances at Stamford Bridge against Aston Villa and Bournemouth over the holiday period have increased the pressure.
Maresca's fortunes were sky high after Chelsea beat Barcelona 3-0 in November and sat three points off the top of the table but a series of self-inflicted wounds, some questionable decisions and damaging defeats by Leeds, Atalanta and Villa have put him under more pressure than ever.
Maresca signed a five-year contract when he joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024 and the club have an option to extend it by a further year.
Chelsea won the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup in 2025 and Maresca led them back into the Champions League.
'Reaching point of no return for Maresca'
Latest from Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:
"We are reaching the point of no return for Maresca and Chelsea.
"At the moment, there is no guarantee that he will be in charge for Chelsea's away game at Manchester City on Sunday.
"Relations are strained between Maresca and some key figures at Stamford Bridge. My information is that Maresca, for his part, feels like a red line has been crossed.
"So I feel we're getting close to that point where there could be a parting of the ways between Maresca and Chelsea by mutual agreement. It will be interesting to see whether he resigns or he's sacked, or we get a statement saying it's by mutual agreement. We're not 100 per cent sure that he is going to be leaving, but that feels like the direction of travel.
"I think he just feels he deserves a little bit more respect for what he has achieved. I think he feels that he needs a little bit more support.
"He's got the youngest team in the Premier League. He's got the youngest squad in the Premier League. Chelsea don't go out and buy world-class players anymore, they buy young players and they give them to Maresca to develop. He feels he's been doing a very, very difficult job well. And you can judge him by the trophies that he's won.
"But I just feel that he thinks the time has come to leave."
Sky Sports' Ron Walker:
"At the end of last season it felt as though there was a chance to build something, as Enzo Maresca led a young Chelsea squad back to the Champions League, then the Conference League and Club World Cup titles.
"How much of that progress has been made six months on? Judging by the boos during and after the Blues' latest poor result against Bournemouth, not a great deal.
"Looking at the Premier League table, this seems a harsh assessment, with Chelsea well in the mix for a Champions League spot.
"But much like when Frank Lampard became the final managerial casualty of the Roman Abramovich era, it is the direction of travel which is the problem. At the midway point of 2025/26 they are five points worse off than at this point last year and drifting.
"Maresca finds himself held responsible for most, though not all of the underlying issues. Over-rotation has been a long-term bugbear - Chelsea have made 55 line-up changes this season, with rock-bottom Wolves the only other side with more than 50.
"Not all of that is due to his own faults. The squad remains woefully short of strength in depth in certain areas, and short of experience almost throughout - the starting line-up against Bournemouth was the youngest named in any Premier League match this season.
"Maresca was rightly lauded for his tactics to win the Club World Cup in the summer, but little progress has been made on that front more widely. He has referred to himself as a big-game manager - and victories against Liverpool and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge this season, plus a creditable 10-man draw with Arsenal, are fair testament.
"But this run of seven points from 21 has included a defeat to Leeds and four points dropped against a Bournemouth side winless in nine. It would likely have also counted a loss at Newcastle had Trevoh Chalobah been penalised for what appeared a blatant penalty.
"There have been moments where a connection looked to be building between Maresca and the fanbase. The two trophies last season and the jubilant scenes after the win at Tottenham earlier this season spring to mind.
"But prickly comments in public have not helped create the us-against-the-world mindset these fans have felt under Jose Mourinho, Thomas Tuchel and even Frank Lampard in the last two decades. And ultimately, results are the cold hard currency that buys coaches time at Chelsea."
The Blues have some tough fixtures coming up...
- Sunday January 4: Man City (A) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports)
- Wednesday January 7: Fulham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 7.30pm (live on Sky Sports)
- Saturday January 10: Charlton (A) - FA Cup, kick-off 8pm (live on Sky Sports)
- Wednesday January 14: Arsenal (H) - Carabao Cup, kick-off 8pm (live on Sky Sports)
- Saturday January 17: Brentford (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
- Wednesday January 21: Pafos (H) - Champions League, kick-off 8pm
- Sunday January 25: Crystal Palace (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm (live on Sky Sports)
- Wednesday January 28: Napoli (A) - Champions League, kick-off 8pm
- Saturday January 31: West Ham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm (live on Sky Sports)
