Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly upset Manchester United chiefs by taking the unusual step of granting his players four days off this week.
The Blues secured the Premier League title with games to spare last weekend, prompting the Blues boss to give his squad Wednesday and Thursday off, alongside their designated rest days on Monday and Tuesday.
That means Chelsea will have just two days of training prior to the visit of Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, which The Telegraph claims has left Louis van Gaal unhappy, with United in a straight shootout with the Reds for the last remaining Champions League berth.
Liverpool have closed the gap on United to just four points in recent weeks, but they are fast running out of time to usurp their arch-rivals for fourth place, making this weekend's clash against Chelsea a potentially pivotal fixture in the way the personal battle pans out.
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas made the most of his downtime by reportedly returning to his Barcelona home, where he celebrated his 28th birthday with close friend Lionel Messi.
Daniel Lewis
