Juande Ramos is being considered for the role of interim manager should Chelsea decide to show Jose Mourinho the Stamford Bridge exit following a disastrous start to the campaign.
The Blues sit a point above the Premier League relegation zone and have no hope of successfully defending their title. Matt Hughes of the Times revealed on Wednesday Ramos is being eyed for the caretaker position.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss has been without a club since leaving the helm of Ukrainian giants Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2014.
Hughes wrote that Chelsea's board is discussing "whether to dismiss the manager immediately" or to allow him to take charge of the team for Saturday's home fixture against Sunderland.