Rosenior drops hint that Chelsea move is imminent after Strasbourg's draw

Liam Rosenior has intensified reports of him being the favourite for the Chelsea job by refusing to commit his future to Strasbourg.

The Englishman was again quizzed on his future after overseeing Strasbourg's 1-1 draw at Nice on Saturday.

Daily Mail Sport understands that Rosenior is the frontrunner for the job after Enzo Maresca was sacked following a breakdown in relations with the Blues powerbrokers.

'My future?' Rosenior said. 'It's a very beautiful city, with very beautiful people, a great club. I liked everything.'

'The players were amazing. I really want the best for this club. I don't know if this is my last game. In life we don't know.'

Those comments, speaking in the past tense, were even more non-committal than his words prior to the match.

'There are no guarantees in life,' the 41-year-old had said prior to the match.

'What I do know is that I put everything into this job. I’ve created some unbelievable connections with the people at this club. We’ve created some really great memories.

'You can’t guarantee anything in life. In terms of interest for other clubs, I’ve had a lot of interest.

'A lot of approaches that I’ve always been open with the club about. Some have come out and some haven’t.

'My focus is always on the job that I do. But to say I’m definitely going to be somewhere or definitely going to do something, I don’t think that’s right.'

Rosenior has made a success of his Strasbourg gig. Last season he guided them to seventh in Ligue 1, while this campaign they place the same and also topped the Europa Conference League league phase.

Before that, he oversaw successful stints as an interim manager at Derby County and permanent boss at Hull City.

Chelsea face Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday and have asked their Under 21 head coach Calum McFarlane, along with his assistants, to prepare the players for that trip to the Etihad Stadium.

The aim is for a new manager to continue working under the same system as Maresca, and to avoid the need to make major changes midway through a season in which the club remain fifth, despite their recent run.

Club bosses — including co-owner Behdad Eghbali and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart — had talks Thursday morning and Maresca's exit was confirmed soon after.

The writing had been on the wall for Maresca after a spectacular outburst in which he claimed he had endured 'his worst 48 hours' following a victory over Everton.

It is thought that the claim related to serious friction between the manager and the medical department and a continuing difference of opinion over the management of injured players and their returns to action.