Calum McFarlane was only meant to be around the Chelsea first team for a little while.
Following Enzo Maresca’s shock exit at the beginning of the month, McFarlane stepped in as interim manager until the appointment of Liam Rosenior.
However, the 40-year-old has remained with the senior squad after being offered a job in Rosenior’s backroom staff.
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Cole Palmer absence explained vs Pafos
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McFarlane helped Chelsea to secure a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad but followed up that positive result with a 2-1 defeat to Fulham. The Englishman was not helped by Marc Cucurella, who was sent off that night.
Calum McFarlane, Interim Manager of Chelsea, and Reece James of Chelsea applaud the fans
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Calum McFarlane took charge of Chelsea shooting drill
McFarlane being allowed to stay with the Chelsea first team was not a token gesture.
Before the Blues’ Champions League clash against Pafos kicked off, McFarlane was seen leading the shooting drill.
The finishing exercise was viewed by reporter Peter Smith, who shared what he saw on Sky Sports‘ live blog for the game.
Rosenior made six changes for the Pafos match, with Chelsea having to play again on Sunday.
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The Club World Cup winners face Crystal Palace in another London derby. Since Rosenior took over, Chelsea have faced Brentford, Arsenal and Charlton Athletic.
Head Coach of Chelsea Calum McFarlane gestures during the Premier League match between Fulham and Chelsea
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After Chelsea settled on Rosenior, the expectation was that McFarlane would return to the Under-21s.
However, according to The Standard, Rosenior was so impressed with McFarlane’s work during his short time as caretaker boss that he wanted to keep him around the senior squad.
Chelsea’s new manager has been very positive about those he is working with since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
For example, Rosenior hailed Robert Sanchez as “outstanding” following his performance in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Brentford last Saturday.
Next up for the 41-year-old and Chelsea in the Champions League is a trip to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium to take on Antonio Conte’s Napoli. They need to win that match to have a chance of securing automatic qualification into the next round.
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