Chelsea are still holding out hope that Thomas Tuchel can test negative for coronavirus and get over to Abu Dhabi in time for Saturday's Club World Cup final.
The German manager tested positive for the virus last Saturday, which has forced him to miss their FA Cup victory over Plymouth on the weekend, as well as the start of their Club World Cup campaign in Abu Dhabi.
The Blues, who reached the final of the FIFA tournament by beating Al-Hilal 1-0 on Wednesday, have placed assistant manager Zsolt Low in charge of the team, with sporting director Petr Cech helping out alongside fellow first-team coach Arno Michels.
And Tuchel's right-hand man, Low, has revealed Chelsea still believe Tuchel - who is still in London - can make it in time for the game, even with just over 24 hours until the match in the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.
'We still hope he can come and join the group as soon as possible,' Low told a press conference on Friday. 'We hope he can come. We have 30 hours to the game. He follows the rules and protocols. There's still a lot of time.
'We hope he can come but if not we are well prepared, we have a lot of meetings. We talk about the game, we analyse the game and see what we can do better. We're absolutely clear what to do better in the second game.
'Thomas will absolutely want to be here. The whole club wants that. We hope he can make it. We have 30 hours. Every test can be negative and with one he can fly and join the group.'
The Blues earned their spot in the final by beating Al-Hilal 1-0 thanks to Romelu Lukaku's winner. Chelsea have never won the Club World Cup before, having lost to Corinthians in their last appearance in this tournament back in 2012.
Chelsea have won every single game Low has officially taken charge of, though they struggled past League One side Plymouth in the FA Cup after being taken to extra-time, before beating Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal by a slender margin.
But first-team coach Low revealed that legendary goalkeeper Cech has been helping him out in Tuchel's health-related absence.
'It's a big challenge but we have a very good structure club with Chelsea,' Low said earlier this week. 'Petr Cech supports us well when Thomas is not here.
'We have a good medical staff, team management. We have a lot of support. Petr is all the time with us. He was an amazing player, now an amazing sports director.
'He has a very good feel and when we need him he steps up. He doesn't want to disturb and be part of every meeting but he is giving us some support.'
After Saturday's final with Palmeiras, Tuchel is expected to take control of the Chelsea side again where they will look to finish off their campaign in style. Their first match after Saturday's final is a trip to Crystal Palace on February 19.
The Premier League looks beyond Chelsea's reach, as the west Londoners sit 13 points behind leaders Manchester City, but they are in the final of the Carabao Cup and will play in the last-16 rounds of both the Champions League and the FA Cup.
More to follow.