McFarlane, formerly Under-21s head coach, has joined Rosenior’s staff on a permanent basis after a two-game stint as interim head coach.

Chelsea Under-21s are currently third in the Premier League 2 and next face a trip to West Ham United on Monday 19 January. Meanwhile, our Under-19s team, led by the same coaching staff, face PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Youth League knockout round next month.

Hassan Sulaiman will also be taking on a new role as pathways relationship manager, which will see him support development between the Academy and men’s first-team. Dan Hogan, formerly Under-16s head coach, will lead the Under-18s.

Chelsea Under-18s are preparing for their next challenge in the FA Youth Cup, which comes with a fourth-round tie at Reading this evening (Wednesday).

Academy technical director Glenn van der Kraan said: ‘The Chelsea Academy has always taken great pride in developing talent, both within players and staff. We were delighted that our coaching staff were able to support the men’s team during the recent games against Manchester City and Fulham, with a number of exciting opportunities materialising as a result.

'Our focus now shifts to an important second half of the season, where our players will challenge themselves in elite competitions and continue their growth as individuals and teams.’