Chelsea winger Pedro Neto says the Blues' players were left surprised by Enzo Maresca's sudden departure. The Italian's exit was confirmed on New Year's Day, less than 48 hours after a Premier League draw against Bournemouth.

Neto was brought to Stamford Bridge by Maresca in August 2024 and has played some part in every Blues game this season. He and his team-mates will be led out by academy coach Calum McFarlane for Sunday's match against Manchester City but a new permanent boss could be in place soon after - with Strasbourg's Liam Rosenior the early front-runner.

"When I heard the news, in the beginning I was a little bit surprised because the manager did very good for us," Neto told Sky Sports' One on One podcast. "He did an unbelievable season last year and he was doing a good season this year. Of course we always want to do better but this is football.

"For me, I'm a little bit sad because he's a manager who helped me a lot and I learned a lot with him. In personal terms he was unbelievable. I say 'thank you' but it's football, and we have to go through it. We have the next game already."

• Chelsea given encouragement over shock Jurgen Klopp approach – 'Go and speak'

• Liam Rosenior confirms his stance as Chelsea's top target responds to new manager links

Maresca led Chelsea to Conference League glory in his first season in the dugout, as well as sealing a return to the Champions League with a fourth-place finish in the league. He followed that up with a run to glory in the Club World Cup, beating Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

The Blues sat second in the Premier League table as recently as November, with Maresca winning that month's manager of the month award. However, he departs after a run of just one win in seven saw Chelsea fall to fifth.

Defeat against Manchester City on Sunday would see the London side fall 14 points adrift of their rivals while staying 18 adrift of league leaders Arsenal. Just two points separated Chelsea and City last season, though City did the league double over their rivals including a win at Stamford Bridge in Maresca's first game.

The match will be a baptism of fire for rookie boss McFarlane, who only took charge of Chelsea's Under-21s over the summer after a spell with Southampton. McFarlane singled out captain Reece James for praise when speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's match.

"He's been a real leader in the group and supported the staff and the players," he said. "You can't ask for any more. It just seems like a real focus for getting the best performance we can on Sunday."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.