Jorginho has admitted that Chelsea’s players were at fault for Thomas Tuchel’s sacking as they prepare to embark on their new era under Graham Potter.

The German coach was fired in the wake of Chelsea’s surprise Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb last Tuesday with Potter quickly appointed as his replacement.

And the Italian midfielder, who is the vice-captain at Stamford Bridge, said the squad must admit at least partial responsibility for Tuchel’s departure following a poor start to the season.

‘Of course, we’re a team. So it’s not one person responsible for what happened,’ he said at a press conference ahead of Chelsea’s home fixture with Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday night.

‘We are a team and a group on the pitch. Of course, it’s our responsibility what happened.’

Asked about where it went wrong for the former manager, Jorginho added: ‘We tried to do what we could and where it could go better.

‘Unfortunately, it was working and the challenge now is to rebuild confidence.

‘It was a surprise for us. There is always talking about what happened but now we have games coming and life is quick, so we don’t have much time to stay here thinking.

‘We talk and then we need to concentrate on what we do.’

Potter, who left Brighton to take up the role at Chelsea on a five-year contract, saw his first game in charge delayed when Saturday’s visit to Fulham was postponed following the Queen’s death.

The match against Salzburg will go ahead as scheduled as the Blues try to kick-start their Champions League campaign.

But Sunday’s match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge has also been postponed because of limited police resources in London ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

Asked for his first impressions of Potter on the training ground, Jorginho added: ‘He’s a humble coach but with a good way to work.

‘I think he has this challenge and I believe he is going to do very well because he has good ideas and a group of players ready to try to do the best we can and listen to what he wants.

‘I think it’s a good combination for good results.

‘We need to work a lot in meetings and seeing what the new manager will bring to us and understand as quickly as possible what he wants from us on the pitch.

‘He has done very well, asking us what we feel comfortable with, and that’s the way we need to keep going.

‘Now, there is a lot new information and we need to try to understand that and help each other.’