Head coach Antonio Conte believes Chelsea have been "penalized" by the Premier League fixture schedulers who have granted his side just one full day's preparation for tomorrow's clash with Manchester City
Head coach Antonio Conte believes Chelsea have been "penalized" by the Premier League fixture schedulers who have granted his side just one full day's preparation for tomorrow's clash with Manchester City. Chelsea claimed a last-gasp 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday to top Champions League Group C. The Premier League champions play City on Saturday. Pep Guardiola's side beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, while Chelsea returned to London on Thursday following their post-match flight from Madrid.
Antonio Conte
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'Blues penalised'
"In this case I think we are a bit penalised," Conte said. "To have only one day to prepare for this type of game is not right. Honestly I'm very surprised to see that this big game we have to play on Saturday, not on Sunday. I don't understand why."
'Poor scheduling'
Conte says the international break which follows the City contest means it was less necessary for the game to be played on Saturday. "There is the international break. It's very difficult to understand," Conte added. The Italian insisted he may delay selecting his team until Saturday afternoon. "Maybe I'll wait until one hour before playing. This type of game (against Atletico) you use a lot of physical and mental energy. I want to speak with everyone and then to make the best decision," Conte added.
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