Liam Rosenior's Chelsea Debut: When Will the New Manager Take Charge of His First Match?

BlueCo, Chelsea's ownership consortium, has appointed Liam Rosenior as their newest manager to meet their expectations.

The ex-Hull City, Derby County and Strasbourg manager was announced as Enzo Maresca's successor on Tuesday, penning an extended deal that keeps him at Chelsea through 2032.

Chelsea supporters hoping to see their new boss in action must exercise patience, though. Rosenior's appointment occurred barely a day before the Premier League encounter with Fulham, which will remain under interim manager Calum McFarlane's guidance.

The strategy involves Rosenior observing that match from the stands before immersing himself completely in his Stamford Bridge responsibilities.

When Is Rosenior's First Game?

Rosenior reportedly requested to observe Wednesday's match from the stands, cautious about assuming control of the squad and creating major disruption so near to a crucial fixture.

McFarlane will instead aim to preserve the positive momentum following the 1–1 result against Manchester City, before transferring team leadership to Rosenior for Thursday's practice session.

"I had a quick conversation with Liam yesterday evening, he's genuinely enthusiastic about accepting this position," McFarlane disclosed on Tuesday. "He'll be at Cobham this afternoon so I'll connect with him.

"I'm overseeing the match [versus Fulham] and hopefully we can deliver him those three points.

"I've been instructed to handle the Fulham fixture. Come Thursday, I anticipate returning to the Under-21s and preparing for the weekend."

Consequently, Rosenior will occupy the technical area when Chelsea turn their focus to the FA Cup. The Blues travel to Charlton Athletic for the third round on Saturday, Jan. 10, providing Rosenior with a fascinating first match as Chelsea's manager.

A Carabao Cup semifinal versus Arsenal comes four days afterward, before Rosenior experiences his inaugural Premier League match against Brentford.