Interim boss Adam Sadler does not know how long he will be in charge of Leicester as life after Brendan Rodgers began with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
Sadler and fellow first-team coach Mike Stowell were placed in caretaker charge after Rodgers left on Sunday, 24 hours after the loss to Crystal Palace sent the Foxes into the bottom three.
They stayed there after another late defeat on Tuesday, with Bertrand Traore’s 87th-minute goal earning Villa the three points which enhanced their European qualification hopes.
The Foxes had looked like earning a point with 10 men after Harvey Barnes’ brilliant goal before half-time cancelled out Ollie Watkins’ opener.
But the game turned on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s 70th-minute red card which came for two bookings in six minutes, with Traore going on to have the final say.
Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha made the decision to sack Rodgers in order to beat the drop, so it seems implausible that a new manager will not be appointed imminently.
But Sadler is ready to lead the team for as long as asked.
“The club have asked me to take the game tonight, that’s what I have done, I know nothing more than that at this stage,” Sadler said.
“It’s Mike Stowell and me, it’s a partnership, we have tried to pull the guys together over the last couple of days. It has been one of mixed emotions, losing Brendan was a difficult one, he is a top manager we know, but he is also an excellent man and somebody close to all of us here.
“But the club made a decision.
“We don’t know anything beyond that at this stage so let’s see what happens over the next few days.
“Until we hear different Mike and I will continue to give everything for the football club, we have been here a long time, we know the people inside out, they know us so if it continues to be us we will give everything for the football club.”
Rodgers’ exit marked the end of a four-year tenure where he led the club to back-to-back fifth-placed finishes and a historic FA Cup success in 2021.
Sadler added: “Of course it was a difficult one for everybody. Brendan has built very good relationships with everyone at the club.
“He is a good man, so it was difficult, but the job of Mike and me was to try and turn the attention to the game.
“That’s all we could do. There will be a time for reflection down the line, but we are in this situation and we have to face it.”
For Villa, a fifth win from six games gives them a real chance of qualifying for Europe as Unai Emery continues to surpass expectations.
And Emery says his side are candidates for a top-six finish.
“First we have to be consistent now in the top 10,” the Spaniard said.
“Now we can add another step of thinking to be a candidate to be in the European position but it is going to be difficult because Brighton, Brentford, they are playing very well. We are now with them.
“Chelsea and Liverpool have to be in Europe next year, they will fight for it, but we can have ambition and motivation to try to be a candidate.
“We have to add a new target in the next matches because we can be candidates, we are going to be very demanding and don’t relax or don’t stop.”
