Time out for Scolari

London: A former English prime minister once famously stated that a week was a long time in politics. So it most certainly is in football.

Until a few days ago, Felipe Scolari was looking forward to making up for an unsatisfactory run of league form by steering Chelsea into the last eight of the FA Cup on Saturday.The fifth-round tie at Championship strugglers Watford is still on weather permitting - but the sacked Scolari won't be there.

Instead, assistant coach Ray Wilkins will take charge of the team, keeping the seat warm for the arrival of the newly-appointed Guus Hiddink early next week after the Dutchman was charged with steering the Stamford Bridge club into the business end of the season.

Hiddink, who will continue as coach of the Russian national team, is expected to watch his new club from the stands though the game may not tell him much. Against opponents a division lower, Chelsea should stroll into the quarterfinals despite all the recent upheavals.

The FA cup may be third on their list of silverware ambitions but with Manchester United blazing a trail at the top of the EPL, and Liverpool just behind, the Champions League and the FA Cup are more realistic expectations for a Chelsea side brimming with expensive talent but sorely lacking harmony.

The 62-year-old Hiddink's expected appearance at Watford will intensify the already considerable media interest in the tie, given the potential for a shock and the number of connections between the two clubs. Not only did Wilkins used to be assistant coach at Watford but Chelsea's Frank Lampard will face his dad's club since Frank Lampard Sr is football consultant to Watford manager Brendan Rodgers.

This year is the 25th anniversary of Watford's memorable journey to the FA Cup Final and an excited Rodgers can't wait for the game. "It's a wonderful tie but it's an unbelievably hard task," Rodgers said. "My idea was to have a home draw and if I want a big team then I wouldn't want any other team except Chelsea. So when it came out I knew what number ourselves and Chelsea were, it was fantastic, and from that moment the phone hasn't stopped."

Rodgers himself spent four years at Chelsea but isn't sure whether his inside knowledge will help cause the downfall of one of Europe's leading sides. "There are one or two things which I will know that other coaches wouldn't but we are dealing with some of the best stars in world football."

Although the fifth round of the competition is littered with minnows, three of the so-called big four are very much in contention. Manchester United go to another Championship club, Nigel Clough's Derby, while Arsenal, one round behind, attempt to complete their postponed fourth-round replay with Cardiff before taking on Burnley later in the month.

The glamour tie of the last 16 is undoubtedly Everton's clash with Aston Villa. Both are in fine form and serious contenders to reach Wembley but one of them has to fall.

Because of so much cup action, there is only one EPL game but it is an intriguing one as Manchester City travel to Portsmouth. City are still very much in a false position after all the investment made in the club while Portsmouth are still to appoint a successor for Tony Adams who lasted just three months as manager and was shown the door shortly before Chelsea did likewise to Scolari.

Andrew Warshaw is a specialist football writer based in England.