Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti hit out at the Premier League for the intense fixture congestion over the festive period, calling the schedule ‘terrible’.
The Toffees moved up to second in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United on Boxing Day.
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They host Manchester City just 48 hours later, on Monday night, with Pep Guardiola’s side given the same limited rest time following their 2-0 defeat of Newcastle.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has called the busy festive period ‘criminal’, while Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fears his players will pick up injuries due to the number of matches they are being forced to play.
And Ancelotti has joined his fellow coaches in their criticism, with Everton playing five matches in the space of just two weeks.
He told talkSPORT: “We don’t know how to prepare for the game. I think Man City have the same problem.
“The schedule is terrible. It is impossible to recover after two days.
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“After three days, we are used to it, but two days is impossible; I [will] have to rotate players.”
Everton extended their winning streak to four Premier League games thanks to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 80th-minute goal at Sheffield United.
In his post-match press conference, Ancelotti said: “I am really pleased.
“It is a victory for the spirit of the team, rather than the quality. The defence of the team was solid and we didn’t give opportunities to Sheffield. We scored a fantastic goal with a good combination.
“We knew we had to be patient and not give them opportunities to be in the game, so this was the plan. We knew we wouldn’t have many opportunities to score.
“The fact all these players are out and we win means the squad is good, the ambition is good and we are motivated.
“The three subs – Bernard, Andre Gomes and Seamus Coleman – helped a lot the team to win this game also.”
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