They pushed Newcastle hard on their visit to St. James' Park in October, only falling to a last minute winner from Bruno Guimaraes. Only two points separate them from their hosts, who will be feeling the pressure after Sunday's defeat in the Tyne-Weir derby and who looked drained from competing on four fronts.

It is rare for senior figures at any team to speak out, not just Chelsea, on such matters. And even if they did, it would be counter-productive, because statements of support are often perceived from the outside as the ‘dreaded vote of confidence’ before a decision ends up being taken days or weeks later to part ways with the manager concerned.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca refused to explain the comments he made after beating Everton on Saturday; Maresca said the days before beating the Toffees 2-0 were the worst 48 hours as Chelsea boss; watch Cardiff vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports on Tuesday,