Di Matteo let down by scheduling

Roberto Di Matteo has claimed the Football Association and Premier League could be harming Chelsea's Champions League chances by making them play three days before European games.

The Blues travel to Benfica on Tuesday barely 72 hours after Saturday's Barclays Premier League draw against Tottenham while, in stark contrast, the Primeira Liga moved the Portuguese club's game at Olhanense back to Friday.

Asked if allowing teams to play league and FA Cup matches on a Friday ahead of European games should be looked into, caretaker Blues manager Di Matteo said: "Absolutely, yes. Absolutely, yes. Because the other federations, they do tend to help their teams to be able to perform as good as possible in Europe."

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.