Marco Silva could become a surprise contender if Chelsea find themselves in need of a caretaker manager to take over this season with the former Watford coach known to be admired by Marina Granovskaia, the club’s influential director.

Chelsea are planning to stick with Antonio Conte for the rest of the campaign, but may be forced to reconsider if the team’s results remain poor and their prospects of finishing in the top four are seriously threatened, in which case their options for a caretaker manager would be severely limited.

There is no one at Stamford Bridge who could do the job as all of Conte’s backroom staff would leave with him, while Chelsea are conscious that Guus Hiddink was less successful in his second period