By MATT BARLOW and NEIL ASHTON
Roman Abramovich will try to persuade Pep Guardiola to become Chelsea manager before the summer if he fires Roberto Di Matteo.
Guardiola, on a year’s sabbatical in New York, has already given Chelsea strong hints that he wants the job next summer. But Abramovich, who is losing patience with Di Matteo ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with Juventus, is determined to land his man.
Guardiola has made it clear he will not take up a new position before the start of next season but Chelsea’s owner will stop at nothing if he decides to fire Di Matteo just six months after he landed the European Cup.
If Chelsea lose tonight they will be in danger of becoming the first team in the history of the Champions League to win the competition and be knocked out in the group stages the next year.
They have a massive six days ahead as they focus on Juventus and then the Premier League clash with champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Di Matteo insisted the squad remain united ahead of the Group E game in Turin, despite confirmation of dressing-room clashes after Saturday’s defeat at West Bromwich.
The Chelsea boss, who has a selection dilemma after admitting he was disappointed with the form of Fernando Torres, says the disputes are healthy for the squad.
He said: ‘It’s important that we communicate with each other, and players express themselves. I’ve always encouraged that.
‘There was obviously frustration over the result on Saturday. It’s normal when things don’t go your way. We owe ourselves a good performance and anything can happen, but we’ve proved many times before that, when it counts, our players can be counted for. Everyone is fully committed for the game.
‘They need to have belief in themselves, and that’s the most important aspect. At the moment, we’re all in it together. We believe we can get a positive result.’
Defender David Luiz admits the alarm bells are ringing over Chelsea’s recent slump.
He told the Sun: ‘At the moment it’s not good.
‘We started the season at the top of the league, but we’ve now lost another game, although it was against a good team.
‘But it’s disappointing, Chelsea want to be at the top of the table always, so we need to work hard before the next game.
‘In my first season here I think we were 18 points behind, but if we had won our last three games we would have won the Premier League.
‘We don’t want to be far behind the other teams, but in the space of two or three games everything can change and we can be near the top again.’
There is astonishment in Italy that Di Matteo’s position may be under threat six months after he won the Champions League.
‘He did something extraordinary last season and he is showing it again this year,’ said Juve’s assistant coach Angelo Alessio.
