Mourinho complains over fixture rescheduling

LONDON – Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has complained that a change in the Premier League fixtures list because of European commitments will put his team at a disadvantage.

The English champions’ next league match is on December 10, by which time league leaders Manchester United could have opened up a nine-point lead. Chelsea had been due to face Newcastle on Saturday but the fixture has been moved to December 13 because Newcastle played a Uefa Cup match on Thursday.Normally the game would be moved to Sunday but Chelsea play in the Champions League on Tuesday so this was not possible.”I would like to have a game …I am not happy that we don’t play,” Mourinho was quoted as saying on the club’s Web site www.chelseafc.com on Saturday.He was unhappy that Newcastle would have an extra day to prepare for the rescheduled match because they play on the previous Saturday, whereas Chelsea play on the Sunday.”They are going to have an advantage,” he said.He dismissed Manchester United’s potential nine-point lead as “artificial” because his team will have two games in hand.Meanwhile, Mourinho will rest left back Ashley Cole and midfielder Claude Makelele for tomorrow’s Champions League game against Levski Sofia.Wayne Bridge will start instead of Cole for the match at Stamford Bridge, the club’s Web site www.chelseafc.com said.”I played Makelele consecutively against Manchester United and Bolton and then I gave him four days holiday so he is not playing against Levski,” the Web site quoted Mourinho as saying.Chelsea lead Group A with 10 points from five games, level on points with second-placed Werder Bremen.Levski are bottom of the group after five defeats.Nampa-ReutersChelsea had been due to face Newcastle on Saturday but the fixture has been moved to December 13 because Newcastle played a Uefa Cup match on Thursday.Normally the game would be moved to Sunday but Chelsea play in the Champions League on Tuesday so this was not possible.”I would like to have a game …I am not happy that we don’t play,” Mourinho was quoted as saying on the club’s Web site www.chelseafc.com on Saturday.He was unhappy that Newcastle would have an extra day to prepare for the rescheduled match because they play on the previous Saturday, whereas Chelsea play on the Sunday.”They are going to have an advantage,” he said.He dismissed Manchester United’s potential nine-point lead as “artificial” because his team will have two games in hand.Meanwhile, Mourinho will rest left back Ashley Cole and midfielder Claude Makelele for tomorrow’s Champions League game against Levski Sofia.Wayne Bridge will start instead of Cole for the match at Stamford Bridge, the club’s Web site www.chelseafc.com said.”I played Makelele consecutively against Manchester United and Bolton and then I gave him four days holiday so he is not playing against Levski,” the Web site quoted Mourinho as saying.Chelsea lead Group A with 10 points from five games, level on points with second-placed Werder Bremen.Levski are bottom of the group after five defeats.Nampa-Reuters