Wednesday 18 July 2018 12:56, UK
Maurizio Sarri is set to be unveiled as Chelsea head coach at his first press conference on Wednesday.
The 59-year-old was appointed Blues boss on Saturday, succeeding compatriot Antonio Conte, with the task of improving Chelsea's league position after the club finished outside the top four last season.
Conte won the Premier League in his first season in charge, which began with many believing Chelsea were in crisis.
Sarri finds himself coming into the most turbulent period at Chelsea since Roman Abramovich's takeover in 2003.
The Russian billionaire's visa dispute with the UK authorities has led to the indefinite postponement of plans to rebuild Stamford Bridge and the Blues finished 30 points adrift of champions Manchester City last term.
There are doubts over the futures of playmaker Eden Hazard, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Willian, Alvaro Morata and N'Golo Kante, among others. Captain Gary Cahill's future was also questioned on Tuesday.
Sarri may be seeking to use his powers of persuasion with Hazard and Courtois, in particular, to stick with Chelsea. But with their contracts winding down - Courtois' expires next summer, Hazard's in 2020 - Chelsea's may be forced to cash in.
There will be questions about incoming players, too. Jorginho followed Sarri from Napoli, but further reinforcements are likely.
Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain has been repeatedly linked with Chelsea, as has CSKA Moscow's Aleksandr Golovin, who is attracting interest from Monaco.
In an interview with Chelsea's official app, Sarri outlined his intention to put his own stamp on the team.
"With one or two adjustments we can try to play my football," he said.
Watch Maurizio Sarri's first Chelsea news conference from 2pm on Sky Sports News.
