Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has suggested Tottenham’s fixture schedule is no more demanding than any other team’s despite Jose Mourinho’s complaints about the Carabao Cup.
Spurs were handed a gruelling run of games to start the season, featuring four Premier League matches, three Europa League qualifiers and two domestic cup matches – though their third-round tie with Leyton Orient was cancelled after a number of the League Two side’s players tested positive for coronavirus.
Tottenham were handed a bye as a result, and will now host Chelsea after the Blues saw off Barnsley, though Mourinho still had to travel to Macedonia last Thursday to take on Shkendija.
Two days later they were in action against Newcastle, with a similar gap between tomorrow night’s clash with Chelsea, then on Thursday they face Maccabi Haifa before a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Mourinho has blasted the scheduling, saying it puts his players at risk, and intends to name a heavily rotated side for the Carabao Cup, though Lampard has little sympathy and says every team is dealing with their own issues.
Asked about Mourinho’s comments, and where the competition ranks for Chelsea, Lampard replied: ‘Yeah, I mean, I know that, and I know Jose it’s a busy time for Tottenham because of the Europa League.
‘It’s a busy time for us all. They had a free mid-week last week, we didn’t.
‘They have a fantastic squad, so I feel that any squad Jose will put out can be very strong.
‘I think we all know that the Carabao Cup, for teams like ourselves and Tottenham – who are challenging for the top four and Champions League, like we are – then the Carabao Cup does have its place and we certainly respect it and every tournament we go in we’ll try and win.’
Explaining his decision to prioritise the Maccabi Haifa game over Chelsea, Mourinho said: ‘I would like to fight for the Carabao Cup but I don’t think I can.
‘We have a game on Thursday that gives us not as much money as the Champions League, but the group phase of the Europa League gives us a certain amount that for a club like us is very important.
‘It’s a competition with a possible group phase that gives us a good chance to go through to the next knockout stage, so this game on Thursday is very important for us.’
