TheSportsCampus

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would consider giving Roberto Di Matteo the sack if he is able to convince former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to end his year-long sabbatical early, claimed the Daily Mail. The Spaniard is already touted to succeed Di Matteo next summer but the Italian manager's future has been cast into doubt with Chelsea's form taking a nosedive in recent weeks.

Di Matteo had made a strong case last season after leading the club to an FA Cup and Champions League double, forcing Abramovich to give him the job especially after Guardiola refused to join any club in the summer. The Blues manager had made a strong start to the domestic campaign this season as Chelsea enjoyed a two-month long run at the top of the Premier League table.

However, after two losses and two draws in their last four league games, Chelsea have slumped into third place while their European campaign also hangs in the balance with Tuesday's game away to Juventus being pivotal in deciding where they finish in the Group. A loss in Turin could make Chelsea the first defending champions in the history of the competition to get knocked out in the group stages.

Di Matteo is wary of this eventuality and he could make significant changes to his squad, most notably dropping the misfiring Fernando Torres. The manager is confident of overcoming the challenge of the Italian champions on Tuesday and he will be all the more desperate for a win to ensure that he is not out of a job before next summer.