Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has expressed his displeasure with the Premier League’s scheduling, which puts the Blues at a disadvantage ahead of their midweek clash against Southampton.

Speaking to the media, Maresca voiced his concerns over the lack of fairness in the fixture list, highlighting the significant difference in preparation time between Chelsea and their opponents.

“The strange thing is that Southampton play on Friday, we play [against Aston Villa] on Sunday, and then we play against Southampton on Wednesday,” Maresca said.

“This is not something normal. We have two days after our Sunday game, they have four or five days. This is not normal, but we will try to prepare for the games in the best way and try to win,” the manager added.

While Southampton will enjoy nearly a week of rest before facing the Blues, Chelsea will have just two days to recover and refocus after what promises to be a physically demanding game against Aston Villa.