Jose Mourinho is likely to be far from Old Trafford tomorrow but the former Chelsea manager will still cast a long shadow over his former club's showdown with Manchester United.
Mourinho's dramatic departure has hardly sunk in and already the London club have to regroup for a match they cannot afford to lose.
If Chelsea are beaten by Sir Alex Ferguson's side and Arsenal defeat Derby today, the Blues will enter the post-Mourinho era five points behind the league leaders.
PHOTO: AFP
A trip to the Premier League champions would be a daunting start for any new manager, but the circumstances of Mourinho's departure and Avram Grant's promotion as his successor puts the Israeli coach firmly in the spotlight.
Roman Abramovich's decision to appoint his friend has only added to the feeling that Mourinho's days were numbered from the moment Grant arrived as director of soccer in the close season.
So Grant has plenty to prove. The fans will wonder whether this anonymous 52-year-old has the ability to maintain Chelsea's position as one of the English's game pre-eminent forces.
But a bigger challenge could await the former Portsmouth director of soccer in the visitors' changing room at Old Trafford.
Several of Chelsea's players, with Didier Drogba among them, were in tears when Mourinho said his farewells at the club's training ground on Thursday morning.
Mourinho's charisma and track record inspired the likes of Drogba, John Terry and Frank Lampard to reach new heights and they are likely to wonder what Grant can add to their games.
If the players feel Mourinho has been harshly treated it must be questionably whether they will feel like putting their bodies on the line for Grant. Even if they do well, it will be interpreted as a salute to Mourinho rather than anything to do with Grant.
One thing is certain, Ferguson will be determined to take advantage of Chelsea's moment of weakness.
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