Jose Mourinho has suggested Manchester United could field an under-23 side against Crystal Palace in their last Premier League game of the season.
Mourinho has become increasingly exasperated by the fixture demands, a situation caused by their extended participation in three cup competitions, and is currently juggling a long injury list.
“You are punished for doing well and if we beat Celta we have the final on the Wednesday (May 24) and we play against Crystal Palace on the Sunday (May 21),” he said.
“Maybe I can bring (academy coach) Nicky Butt and his team to play against Crystal Palace and hopefully Palace doesn’t need a game to stay in the division because it would be very, very bad if they needed the points for us to play with the under-23s.”
Donadoni relieved Bologna are safe
Bologna secured their place in the Italian top flight for another year following a 4-0 win over Udinese last weekend and coach Roberto Donadoni is relieved his team has made it with four matches left.
“We have achieved the aim with four games to spare and that is a great result, credit to the boys,” Donadoni said as third-bottom Crotone cannot catch up with Bologna now.
“Clearly, a lot of things could be done better and more could be done in some areas. But we can look to the future with optimism, there is room for improvement.”
PSG not giving up on title
Paris SG have not given up hope of retaining their Ligue 1 title despite suffering a potentially decisive defeat at Nice on Sunday.
PSG’s 3-1 loss at the Allianz Riviera means they are now three points adrift of leaders Monaco having also played a game more than the in-form Champions League semi-finalists.
With only three games left, PSG know the odds are against them being crowned French champions for a fifth successive season.
Coach Unai Emery said: “We lost three important points at Nice. I think the team deserved better.
“It’s harder now but the title isn’t lost. We will continue to work for that, to win the three matches we have left.”
Advocaat linked with Dutch job
Dick Advocaat is poised to return as Netherlands coach amid public disapproval of such an appointment after Danny Blind was sacked in March after a run of poor results.
Advocaat, 69, is the latest choice of the Dutch FA, according to local media, after Louis van Gaal, Ronald Koeman, Frank de Boer, Henk ten Cate and German coach Roger Schmidt were reported to have turned the job down.
However, a poll said 73 per cent believed Advocaat did not deserve another chance after spending just three months last year as Blind’s assistant before leaving to take up a job with Fenerbahce.
Schneiderlin set for return
Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin’s thigh injury is not serious and he will return to action within 10 days, manager Ronald Koeman said.
Everton have lost just one league game that Schneiderlin has been involved in.
“It’s not bad. It’s not the end of the season for Morgan. Maybe next week but it will not take longer than 10 days,” Koeman said.
Sydney pitch under fire
Australian soccer has long lamented the woeful state of the nation’s playing surfaces and the domestic A-League faces embarrassment when the championship decider between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC kicks off on Sunday.
The pitch at Sydney Football Stadium, the venue for the game’s national showpiece, was in appalling condition during Saturday’s semi-final between the home side and Perth Glory, having hosted a top-flight National Rugby League match the previous evening.
Ground staff will again be tasked with ‘Mission Impossible’ to get the turf up to scratch in time for Sunday’s A-League ‘Grand Final’, with a Super Rugby match between local team New South Wales Waratahs and the Auckland Blues scheduled the night before.