Glum Chelsea stars reported to training on Monday for the first time since Graham Potter was sacked as manager.
Potter was dismissed on Sunday evening after less than seven months in charge, with the Blues languishing in a lowly 11th in the Premier League.
The final straw for the club was their dismal 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, with the former Brighton boss winning just 12 of his 31 games in charge.
And on Monday afternoon, fewer than 24 hours since the decision – which reportedly ‘stunned’ players’ – several members of the first team squad were pictured arriving for training which will be led by interim manager Bruno Saltor.
Kai Havertz looked deep in thought as he arrived, while Marc Cucurella and Mykhailo Mudryk – who both joined the Blues this season – also look in a miserable mood.
Kai Havertz looked deep in thought as he led the miserable Chelsea stars arriving at training
Marc Cucurella – who played under Graham Potter at Brighton – also looked glum upon arrival
Mykhailo Mudryk has struggled since his £88m move to Stamford Bridge during January
Mason Mount’s Chelsea future remains uncertain as he lookly glumly out of his window
Kepa – who regained his position as keeper under Potter – was pictured wearing sunglasses
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell were among other Chelsea stars to look glum as they arrived at Cobham.
Elsewhere, Mason Mount – who faces an uncertain future at the club with the midfielder yet to extend his contract which expires next summer – looked on as cameras snapped him in his car.
Kepa regained his position as first choice goalkeeper under Potter and the Spaniard was wearing sunglasses, while Raheem Sterling wore a sad expression upon his arrival.
Midfielder N’Golo Kante returned from injury following an eight-month absence against Aston Villa on Saturday in positive news for the club, but the Frenchman looked down as he pulled up in his car.
Following Potter’s dismissal, a statement on behalf of co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: ‘On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea.
‘We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.
‘Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season.
‘We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter-final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.’
The statement on Chelsea’s website added that Potter ‘agreed to collaborate’ with the club to facilitate a smooth transition, and the Blues thanked the 47-year-old for his efforts and wished him well for the future.
Potter moved from Brighton to the Blues on September 8 last year, after the controversial dismissal of Thomas Tuchel by Boehly but struggled to make an impact as they lost significant ground on the top four places.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek also looked glum upon his arrival for Monday’s session at Cobham
The Chelsea stars were set to be put through their paces by interim manager Bruno Saltor
N’Golo Kante seemed gloomy as he pulled up in his car before Tuesday’s game with Liverpool
Raheem Sterling has failed to live up to expectations since his summer move from Man City
Ben Chilwell looked in a pensive mood as the left back pitched up ahead of Monday’s session
The Blues appeared to have finally turned a corner last month with three consecutive wins – against Leeds and Leicester in the Premier League, and Borussia Dortmund in Europe – but have slipped back again.
They were held 2-2 at home by relegation-threatened Everton just before the March international break, before Saturday’s 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa proved to be the final straw for Boehly.
Speaking ahead of the club’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Saltor spoke of his sadness at seeing Potter and his long-time assistant Billy Reid depart the club.
‘It’s been difficult at every single level,’ he said. ‘You have to deal with the press conference, the players, the relationship with Graham and Billy, how it affects their family. A really difficult 12 hours.
‘First of all it is a sad day. A sad day for staff because Graham and Billy leaving, two top coaches, top people, top human beings,’ he added. ‘How I see it is, I have to be the most professional I can. Try to help the players, guide the players to prepare the game the best we can.
‘I just spoke to Graham five minutes ago and he sent his regards to all of you. Obviously it’s been a difficult 24 hours for all of us, for the staff, for the families and now we just have to deal with the situation.’
Graham Potter was sacked by the club in the wake of their dismal 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa
The former Brighton boss leaves Stamford Bridge with Chelsea languishing down in 11th place
Ex-Brighton defender Bruno Saltor is the club’s interim manager following Potter’s sacking.
source: dailymail.co.uk
