CALUM McFarlane is set to take charge of only his third professional game as manager at Wembley.
McFarlane will take to the touchline for against Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final, marking his second interim run this season.
Calum McFarlane takes interim charge of Chelsea for the second time this season Credit: Getty
Liam Rosenior has left Chelsea after less than six months in the job Credit: PA
The Blues picked up an unlikely draw , before losing to Fulham, in McFarlane’s only two games as manager so far.
Last time he stepped in for , this time it is
Rosenior’s horror run as Blues boss saw them lose five Premier League games without scoring, a being the straw the broke the camels back.
McFarlane now faces a near impossible task of getting the Blues back to form and confidence ahead of a trip to Wembley this weekend.
Who is Calum McFarlane?
McFarlane transitioned into coaching after deciding not to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
During his four years at Man City , he met Chelsea’s academy technical director Glenn van de Kraan and Joe Shields, the Blues’ current co-director of recruitment and talent.
At the Etihad, he operated primarily as assistant manager for the Citizens’ Under-18 side.
He would’ve also got to know Maresca too, as the Italian was working in City’s academy at the same time before becoming Guardiola’s second in command.
McFarlane, 40, joined Chelsea after two years in charge of Southampton Under-21s, and has been a success with the Blues so far.
This is his first season as Chelsea academy coach, and he has so far led the Under-21 team to fourth in Premier League 2 after nine matches, as well as to the top of the UEFA Youth League standings.
A few of his key players, Reggie Walsh and Shim Mheuka, have already been rewarded with first-team minutes this season by Maresca.
And, similarly to the Italian, he opts to line his side up in a variation of the 4-2-3-1 formation.
The Chelsea hierarchy views their interim boss as a “rising star” within the world of football management.
And if all goes to plan for the bosses, McFarlane – who had to – will likely have a role to play in their multi-club development model, either at Strasbourg or elsewhere as it develops.
Last season, they “reluctantly agreed” to let him speak with Celtic about a coaching role, which didn’t materialise.
McFarlane operated as part of Liam Rosenior’s staff during his tenure at the club, following his two games in charge earlier this season.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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