Liam Rosenior To Begin Reign As Chelsea Coach With FA Cup Test [Full Third Round Fixtures]
Liam Rosenior’s reign as Chelsea manager begins with an English FA Cup test as the Blues travel to face Charlton Athletic in the third round.
Liam Rosenior, 41, takes charge of his first competitive match knowing that little is taken for granted at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea may be overwhelming favourites on paper, but an early slip at The Valley against Championship opposition would immediately turn the spotlight on a man still finding his feet at one of England’s biggest clubs.
Rosenior’s rise has been swift. His last appearance on an English touchline came in May 2024 when his Hull City side lost 1-0 away to Plymouth Argyle, a result that ended their Championship play-off push.
Days later, he was relieved of his duties, bringing a frustrating campaign to a close.
At the time, a move to Chelsea would have sounded fanciful. Yet Rosenior rebuilt his reputation abroad, guiding Strasbourg to a seventh-place finish in Ligue 1 last season. His work there, at a club also linked to Chelsea’s ownership group BlueCo, marked him out as one of the most promising young coaches in Europe.
Even so, his appointment came as a surprise after the departure of Enzo Maresca.
Now, Rosenior begins life under intense scrutiny, with every team selection and substitution certain to be analysed.
The opening test carries personal meaning. His father, Leroy Rosenior, played for Charlton during the 1990s.
“For this opportunity to come up at this stage of my career is great, but my biggest focus is not about being Chelsea manager, it’s about being a winning Chelsea manager,” Rosenior said. “We need to hit the ground running for the rest of the season.”
Charlton, currently 19th in the Championship, will see the tie as a chance to cause an upset, while Rosenior knows that a stumble at such an early stage would hand ammunition to his doubters.
FA Cup Third Round Fixtures
Today, January 9
MK Dons vs Oxford United
20:30
Preston North End vs Wigan Athletic
20:30
Wrexham vs Nottingham Forest
20:30
Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town
20:30
Saturday, January 10
Macclesfield vs Crystal Palace
13:15
Everton vs Sunderland
13:15
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Shrewsbury Town
13:15
Cheltenham Town vs Leicester City
13:15
Doncaster Rovers vs Southampton
(16:00
Stoke City vs Coventry City
(16:00
Sheffield Wednesday vs Brentford
(16:00
Newcastle United vs Bournemouth
(16:00
Fulham vs Middlesbrough
(16:00
Ipswich Town vs Blackpool
(16:00
Manchester City vs Exeter City
(16:00
Burnley vs Millwall
(16:00
Boreham Wood vs Burton Albion
(16:00
Salford City vs Swindon Town
(16:00
Cambridge United vs Birmingham City
18:45
Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa
18:45
Grimsby Town vs Weston-super-Mare
18:45
Bristol City vs Watford
18:45
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea
21:00
Sunday, 11 January
13:00: Derby County vs Leeds United
15:00: Portsmouth vs Arsenal
15:30: Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
15:30: Swansea City vs West Bromwich Albion
15:30: Norwich City vs Walsall
15:30: West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers
15:30: Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town
17:30: Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Monday, 12 January
20:45: Liverpool vs Barnsley