Chelsea interim coach Callum MacFarlane is in a ‘whirlwind’ 24 hours after replacing Enzo Maresca

Chelsea Caretaker manager Callum MacFarlane admitted it had been a “whirlwind” 24 hours after he was appointed as interim replacement for Enzo Maresca.

Italian Marisca parted ways with the Blues on Thursday, 18 months after replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea Under-21s coach Macfarlane has been appointed interim coach and will take charge of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Manchester City.

Such was the unexpected nature of Macfarlane’s appointment that the Englishman’s coaching permit had to be amended to give him access to the club’s press conference room on Friday morning.

“It’s been a crazy, whirlwind 24 hours, as you can imagine, but it’s also been really fun and exciting,” McFarlane said.

“I can’t help but feel positive about it. It’s an amazing experience.”

He added: “I’m completely relaxed. I’m sure the closer we get to the match, the more nerve-wracking it will become. I’ve never worked at this level before but the players were great and we will do it together.”

Maresca’s departure came after a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Tuesday, which left the Blues 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.

It means Macfarlane’s first appearance as a senior coach will come against Pep Guardiola, who celebrated his 1,000th game as head coach in November.

“The team needs to be ready and prepared and our role is to give the players the support they need to move forward and execute,” he said.

“I can’t say we have nothing to lose. We have to give a good account of ourselves.”

Chelsea travels to Manchester with three places, 11 points behind City, which is in second place.

Reports following Maresca’s departure suggested the Italian had held talks with City about succeeding Guardiola, although the former Leicester City boss denied the claims.

“From my point of view, Chelsea have lost a great coach and a great person,” Guardiola said after Maresca’s departure.

“It’s a decision by the Chelsea management, so I have nothing to say. How lucky I am in the club I’m at. My team is exceptional.”

Asked about his future, Guardiola – whose current contract runs until the end of the 2026-27 season – said: “I have another year.

“I have been here for 10 years and I promise you that one day I will leave, but I have a contract, I am happy, I want to fight with my team, the management respects me – they proved it last season when we did not win a single match in three months.”