Guus Hiddink coy on Chelsea successor

Reviving and rebuilding Chelsea is “not a small job” for Jose Mourinho’s eventual successor, interim boss Guus Hiddink has admitted.

The Premier League champions are 12th with 12 games remaining and the prospect of Champions League football next term seems to be dependent on winning the competition.

But the Blues trail Paris St Germain from the last-16 first-leg after suffering a first defeat in 12 games since Mourinho’s departure in mid-December, last Tuesday.

Focus now turns to the FA Cup fifth-round tie with Manchester City tomorrow.

When asked about the scale of the task to come at Chelsea, Hiddink said: “Everyone has to make good analysis about the strength of the squad, about the weakness of the squad, and accordingly they have to react in building up, or making the squad stronger for next season. That’s not a small job.”

Italy’s Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri of Juventus and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone are just some of the names linked with the job.

Hiddink, who is in his second spell as caretaker at Stamford Bridge, declined to undermine the work of the Chelsea board at finding Jose Mourinho’s successor by commenting further.

“I don’t want to go into details,” he added.

“I am here in the interim period and the people who are not responsible for the every day, every-week stuff and games, they have the longer vision of what is the need of this club, they are in charge.”

Hiddink won the FA Cup during his first spell at the club in 2009. He was presented with a watch by the players ahead of the Wembley final, when Chelsea beat Everton 2-1.

For me it was not a matter of winning the final but recognition from the whole team. I was touched.”

Chelsea will again look to Diego Costa to lead from the front against City and Hiddink has been delighted with the desire shown by the striker, who eight days ago suffered a broken nose in training before playing on after having a protective face mask fitted.

“I think he is difficult to stop,” Hiddink said.

“I love when I have to put the brakes on players, or say stop, instead of pushing (them). Pushing is impossible. Manuel Pellegrini is sticking to his threat to field a weakened Manchester City side tomorrow.

Still competing on four fronts, City wanted the fifth-round trip to Stamford Bridge played on Saturday but that proved impossible with Fulham at home on the same day and the BBC also choosing to televise the tie.

Pellegrini said: “I think unfortunately at this moment we have just 13 (senior outfield) players available to play.

“We have to play Champions League on Wednesday, so we’ll see what will be the best team we can put on the pitch for the FA Cup.

“I said a couple of weeks ago if you want to protect the English team in the Champions League the game was (played on) Saturday - but for different reasons we couldn’t play that day.”