Jose Mourinho says he is at a loss to explain why the Premier League do not look after English club's interests in Europe, but insists Manchester United will still have no excuses if they do no beat Crystal Palace on Saturday.

United landed in Manchester at 4 a.m. local time on Thursday morning after Wednesday night's Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow.

It means Mourinho's team will have had around 66 hours of recovery time before kicking off against Palace, who have had a free week, at Old Trafford at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Mourinho told a news conference on Friday: "I never had explanations. I never had even the faces, or the names, of the persons involved in these criteria.

"But it's not just me or us. I think in the end it happens to everyone. I just think it's strange because in every country the decisions are made to protect the clubs and here that doesn't happen.

"I think it was two years ago Manchester City had a situation and [Manuel] Pellegrini decided to play with the second team because he was trying to reach the Champions League semifinal. So I think in the end it happens with a lot of teams.

"We have to prepare the players mentally, not for moaning or for getting excuses. We have to go for the game. We know we play against a fresh team, a team that was preparing all week for this match.

"But we have a squad, we have to use the squad, we have to try to win."

Four of the Premier League's five representatives in this season's Champions League are set to play on Saturday this weekend after European games in midweek.

United face Palace at 3 p.m. while Chelsea and Manchester City play against each other at Stamford Bridge at 5:30 p.m. Tottenham travel to Huddersfield at 12:30 p.m.

Liverpool, who played Spartak Moscow in Russia on Tuesday, are the only team to play on Sunday, against Newcastle at St James' Park.

Mourinho added: "This week is a good example because it's a week where next week is international football so why can't you play Sunday? With Chelsea, Man City, they don't play also on Sunday. Strange. But that's what we have.

"Fair or unfair, it's just what we have. So, again, you want me to moan and moan and moan but that doesn't give me solutions.

"My solution is you prepare players mentally to cope with the physical disadvantage or because I have a squad with other options, I change players and try to play players that didn't play in the last match."

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by Rob Dawson

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