Former Nottingham Forest star Trevor Francis is shocked by Roberto di Matteo's sacking at Chelsea.

Francis, however, can see Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's thinking behind the decision.

He said: "I don't think anybody really anticipated what happened this morning with Chelsea but when you win the Champions League it raises the bar.

"When you think what Roman Abramovich spent in the summer, as reigning European champions you would expect to be challenging for the Champions League from the first minute to the last.

"I think the Champions League is going to be a very difficult ask for them now, but once they get the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry back, I am sure they can still challenge for the Premier League."