• League Cup

Mourinho backs down over fielding youth side

ESPN staff
October 28, 2013
Jose Mourinho is not happy with having to play two games in the space of three days © PA Photos
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Jose Mourinho has backed down over threats he would field a youth side against Arsenal in the Capital One Cup as he slammed the scheduling of the fixture.

After Chelsea's 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday, the Portuguese revealed he was considering resting his star players for the Cup tie at The Emirates on Tuesday, but he has decided not to send out a young team.

"It's not the plan. We have to respect also our fans. We discussed that in the club. [But] we have to protect our players. We are going to try to do our job and we will do our job the best we can," Mourinho said, adding his frustrations about playing the game just two days after their Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge against City.

"We are going to give the game that the people that put the game on Tuesday want," he said.

"If they want a big game, we cannot give the big game. If they want the players that were playing [on Sunday], we cannot give them that.

"If they want Arsenal to win a trophy, that's a help, because if they want a big game between two big teams in London, they should put the game on Wednesday and not on Tuesday."

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