A couple of coaches have emerged as favourites to take over at Chelsea following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday following the team’s disappointing 1-0 to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening Group E encounter of the UEFA Champions League in Croatia.

The result saw the Blues suffering their third defeat in seven games in all competitions this season.

The club had spent heavily in the just ended transfer window when they brought the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

A replacement is likely to be lined up soon but the after-effect of this huge decision following a massive summer spend was influenced by Tuchel’s own preferences.

Brighton coach Graham Potter is the early favourite after the club’s strong start to the season. Potter has caught the eye with Brighton’s style of play and is regarded as an impressive young coach, but the Chelsea job would be a significant step up.

Another option is Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain back in the summer, having failed to win the Champions League during his stint in France.

Former Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane’s name has been thrown into the hat but it will be difficult to convince the Frenchman.