MANCHESTER, England (AFP) — Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson claims the fixture list has given Chelsea a crucial advantage in the fight for the Champions League and Premier League.
Ferguson believes the way the schedule is arranged in the final weeks of the campaign allows Chelsea more recovery time between matches than his own side have been granted.
After Chelsea's Premier League game at Everton next Thursday, they are without a game until they play Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final first leg five days later.
Avram Grant's side then have another five days off before they meet United at Stamford Bridge on April 26 before playing the second leg against Liverpool the following Wednesday.
United play in Barcelona on Wednesday April 23 before heading to Chelsea and then face the Spanish side again on the following Tuesday.
Grant initially raised concerns about having to play Wigan and Everton next week in the space of four days but Ferguson thinks the key phase of games actually suit Chelsea.
"They've got a good rest for Monday and then three days later they've got Everton away and then they've got a five-day break before they play Liverpool," he said.
"Then they've got a four-day break before they play us in the league game. Our schedule is a bit more congested.
"But I'm sure Avram will go and complain to the league and make sure there's fairness by changing Chelsea's kick-off on the Saturday to the night time."
Ahead of Sunday's clash with Arsenal at Old Trafford, Ferguson believes that injuries to key men is the main reason for the Gunners falling away from contention in the league and being knocked out of Europe.
It has been widely suggested that Arsenal's 4-0 defeat at United in the FA Cup, which started a run of just two victories in 12 matches, is to blame for their collapse, but the Scot thinks there is a far simpler answer.
"I'm not sure how much of an effect that FA Cup game had," Ferguson said. "I think Arsenal have had injuries in the second half of the season that has made it difficult to rest players.
"They lost (Abou) Diaby, Denilson, (Tomas) Rosicky, (Robin) Van Persie, and you can't win games consistently without your best team.
"You just can't do it, not at the level we're at and we suffered with that last season. You can't get the best results without your best players."
Ferguson also thinks that even if the Gunners win all five of their remaining league matches, they will struggle to close United's six-point advantage over them.
"If we beat them, it makes it difficult for them, no question. But it's difficult anyway because they're six points behind us and three points behind Chelsea," he said.
"With five games to go there's not a lot of leeway and they can't afford to drop anything really.
"But that doesn't make it any different in how we prepare because Arsenal games are always very competitive anyway."
Ferguson expects Nemanja Vidic to return from a knee problem and Rio Ferdinand will also feature after suffering another foot injury in the 1-0 victory over Roma in midweek.
Midfielder Darren Fletcher and Louis Saha are also expected to overcome respective knee and hamstring problems before the end of the campaign.
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