Ipswich Manager Kieran McKenna is no longer being considered by Chelsea as a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino
With his exclusion , the number of those left in the race is three
The leading candidates are Thomas Frank, Enzo Maresca and Roberto De Zerbi.
All three men are seen as having the right attributes for the job. The list reflects a desire to appoint a dynamic, forward thinking and progressive coach who fits in with the club’s ideology and who has experience of coaching in English football at a high level.
Frank is admired for the job he has done at Brentford, while Leicester manager Maresca appeals particularly because of his style of play, and, like Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, he worked with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The new Chelsea head coach will sign a contract which will be longer than the two-year deal Pochettino signed last summer.
Chelsea have been working on drawing up the final shortlist of recommended candidates.
The final decision on the new head coach will be made by the Chelsea ownership group, which includes co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly.
Pochettino beat Arne Slot and Vincent Kompany to the job last summer. The three men were on the final shortlist and Ange Postecoglou was also a leading candidate.
Senior Chelsea figures believe the new head coach will be the final piece of the jigsaw to fit into the new modern structure they have built at the club.
Chelsea expect to be busy in the transfer market this summer with players coming and going. Trading is likely to see the signing of a new No. 9 and centre back while the futures of high-earners such as Romelu Lukaku and Kepa Arrizabalaga need to be resolved.
