Wilkins fears for Di Matteo as Abramovich still has his eyes set on Guardiola

14-Jun-2012 1:46:00 PM

The former assistant expects the forthcoming season to be ‘very tough’ for the newly appointed manager as he was very much second choice for the job behind the ex-Barcelona boss

Former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has warned Roberto Di Matteo that he may just be keeping the manager's seat warm for former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.

After guiding the club to Champions League glory whilst in his post as interim manager, the Italian was handed the top job on a two-year contract on Wednesday. However, with Guardiola only set for a one year hiatus from the game, Wilkins believes that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich still sees the multiple Champions League winner as the future manager.

"Abramovich was hanging on to see if Pep Guardiola would come out of his year-long retirement. It’s no secret he sees him as the man to take Chelsea forward," Wilkins told The Sun.

Despite success in Europe, Chelsea only managed sixth place in the Premier League, something Di Matteo will have to improve on. But Wilkins expects the season to be tough and any hiccups could see huge pressure on the shoulders of the Italian.

He added: "It's going to be a very tough season for Roberto."