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Chelsea forward Kai Havertz has revealed his surprise at Thomas Tuchel's dismissal as head coach as Graham Potter replaces the German at Stamford Bridge.
Havertz's most iconic moment in his Chelsea career came under his former boss, with Tuchel's side lifting the UEFA Champions League as Havertz scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
However, the 23-year-old has struggled to be a regular goalscorer for Chelsea since, despite being backed over club-record signing Romelu Lukaku upfront for Tuchel.
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Following Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, Tuchel was dismissed as head coach and swiftly replaced by former Brighton manager Potter.
The Blues came away from Potter's first match with a point against FC Salzburg in the Champions League, handing them their first point of the season in the group stage.
Potter opted to field Havertz from the start, but the German played in a different position, as more of a second striker to support Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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It remains to be seen as to whether Potter can build a strong relationship with Havertz, which he clearly shared with Tuchel during their time together at the club.
Speaking to German magazine Kicker during international duty, Havertz has opened up on Tuchel's dismissal.
He said: "Me too (it surprised me). Especially when you consider how we’ve played in the past year and a half and what we’ve won.
"With the current sixth place in the table, you can’t speak of a messed up start to the season, especially since we have many newcomers who first have to acclimatize But football is very fast-moving, a lot can happen at any time."
The forward continued to admit that he is looking forward to playing under Potter, believing that Chelsea are in for a successful future under the 47-year-old.
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"Our new coach has made a very good impression, we have a great squad," he continued.
"I think we are in for a good time."
The Blues will return to action against Crystal Palace next month once the international break is cleared.
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Potter and Havertz will be hoping to recover Chelsea's form as the Blues look to challenge at the top end of the table, but have already suffered two surprising defeats.
Leeds United and Southampton both beat Tuchel's side earlier in the season, and now it is up to Potter to help his side recover their form.
It remains to be seen as to how long it will take the players to adapt to Potter's system, with fixtures coming thick and fast this season.
Topics: Chelsea, Kai Havertz, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter
Nick Emms