The Manchester City manager was pictured with the west London club's owner at Old Trafford yesterday.

Their brief encounter in the stands saw Eriksson linked to the Stamford Bridge hotseat.

But Eriksson insisted: "If I have a free Sunday afternoon and it's Manchester United v Chelsea, it should almost be criminal in my job not to go and see that match.

"Of course I wanted to see it like most football people in the world. It has nothing to do with Abramovich or Chelsea.

"I have a three-year contract here. I don't know anything about the situation in Chelsea."

Grant, who the Blues hierarchy insisted last week was a permanent appointment, has come under scrutiny in recent days over the validity of his coaching qualifications gained in Israel.

The League Managers' Association have asked for his credentials to be clarified, with all professional managers in Europe required to have gained a UEFA pro licence.

Eriksson passed his exams while still working in his homeland, and he is adamant that all managers must be qualified to do their jobs.

"In Sweden there were four stages to become a coach at the highest level," he added.

"It is very good and I think it's important that we warrant this job, we have to have it (the licence)."

Chelsea face Hull tomorrow night in the Carling Cup and a victory would help ease the speculation Grant is merely a stopgap for a big-name replacement for Mourinho.

Until Sunday's Premier League defeat at Manchester United, Israeli defender Tal Ben-Haim was the only Chelsea player who knew what it was like to play under new boss Avram Grant.

The 25-year-old was a fixture in Grant's squads while he was Israel manager and the pair were reunited when Ben-Haim moved to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Wednesday sees Ben-Haim come face to face with another of his old coaches is the shape of former Bolton assistant boss Brown.

"I remember he's a really good coach, very good sessions, very good with the players in Bolton. So only good things to say about that guy," Ben-Haim said on his club's official website, www.chelseafc.com.

Ben-Haim also had warm words for Nigeria legend Jay Jay Okocha, who could line up in the Tigers midfield.

"Fantastic player, very good ability," Ben-Haim said. "We need to be ready because it's going to be difficult. We come very concentrated with a lot of desire to win the game."

When asked if he was looking forward to seeing his former colleagues again, Ben-Haim smiled: "I'm looking forward to winning."

He added: "I think it's going to be a very hard game.

"I spoke with some players and they told me last season they were a tough game, so I think everybody is ready and wants to win the game, going into the next round."