Graham Potter met his Chelsea squad on Friday morning for the first time and was expecting to take charge of his first game against Fulham on Saturday afternoon after being appointed Head Coach on Thursday.
The 47-year-old was named as Thomas Tuchel’s successor after a deal was swiftly finalised on Wednesday to ensure he was in the dugout at Craven Cottage at the weekend.
But shortly after Potter was confirmed, the sad news of Queen Elizabeth II passing away, aged 96, was announced.
As a result, the Premier League confirmed this weekend’s games, including Chelsea’s at Fulham, would be postponed as a mark of honour to the Queen.
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A statement on Friday morning read: “At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game.”
Therefore, Potter’s first game in charge has been delayed. However, this will give the new Chelsea Head Coach time to settle into his new surroundings at Cobham.
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He met his new players on Friday morning at Cobham, who were originally planning for the west London derby but will now have time to adjust to Potter’s way before embarking on their first fixture together.
Despite Potter’s eagerness to get the first game under his belt, this extra period before their next, his first, game will give him a mini pre-season which could come of benefit to the Blues.
Chelsea are lacking confidence right now after three away defeats in a row, the final of Tuchel’s 19-month reign coming on Tuesday evening against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
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Potter and his backroom staff who are joining him at Chelsea from Brighton, as well as the current team, will have several days uninterrupted due to his first press conference scheduled for Friday being cancelled giving him time to prepare his team.
His first game in charge could come next Wednesday at Stamford Bridge against FC Salzburg in the Champions League. For now, the European clash looks set to be going ahead, offering Potter his first test and a must-win game to leave them in a good position to get out of Group E to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Their game against Liverpool next weekend is also in doubt with ‘major concerns’ being expressed over the staging of games safely on the eve of the Queen’s funeral, according to The Telegraph.
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Potter now has time before his first game instead of a 24-hour turnaround which will be hoped to give them more stability and a better plan heading into what is now a crucial match against FC Salzburg following the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.
But one thing that is for certain is that Potter is excited for his new managerial chapter, this time at Chelsea, after signing a five-year deal in west London.
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He said: "I am incredibly proud and excited to represent Chelsea FC, this fantastic football club.
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"I am very excited to partner with Chelsea’s new ownership group and look forward to meeting and working with the exciting group of players and to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of."
Matthew Debono