Stoke City vs Chelsea FC - 'Maybe I'll watch Chelsea on an iPad on the street'

Posted Saturday, November 07, 2015 by PA

Jose Mourinho is still deciding what to do on Saturday after opting not to contest his one-match stadium ban when his team travel to Stoke.

Mourinho must stay away from the Britannia Stadium following his half-time dismissal at West Ham last month and is not permitted to have contact with his coaching staff during the match, although that is difficult to police.

The Blues boss admitted a Football Association charge of misconduct over his behaviour at Upton Park and was fined B#40,000 alongside the stadium ban.

"Maybe I will sit on the street corner with my iPad," said Mourinho, who says he was invited to speak to referee Jonathan Moss in the officials' changing room at West Ham.

"You can imagine that it's not easy. You can imagine how I feel. And I don't want to speak a lot about it.

"I have no plans. Maybe I don't even watch the game. I cannot (have) contact with the game, so what's the point?"

Only an appeal would have allowed Mourinho to enter the Britannia Stadium, but he has accepted the sanction.

"It's stupid to fight a fight that you know you have already lost," he added.

If he does watch the televised game - and it is inconceivable that he would not - he has no plans to listen to the commentary or opinions of pundits and may use social media.

"Maybe. Live scores? Results? Maybe," said Mourinho, gesturing to his phone, which rang during Friday's media conference.

Mourinho failed in an appeal against a separate sanction on Thursday, a suspended one-match stadium ban and B#50,000 fines for comments made after the October 3 loss to Southampton.

Branislav Ivanovic is in contention to return for Chelsea after recovering from a hamstring problem but striker Radamel Falcao is out for a few weeks after sustaining an undisclosed injury in training on Tuesday, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (knee) remains sidelined.

Assistants Rui Faria and Steve Holland will oversee the team from the touchline, furnished with plans for every event, with Mourinho taking ultimate responsibility despite being absent.

Mourinho said: "The game is unpredictable, you don't know the direction of the game in every aspect, but we can try to reduce that (by preparing for) the most incredible scenarios that you can imagine.

"If after 10 minutes we are playing with seven men, it's something my assistants have not prepared (for)."

Mark Hughes hopes Stoke can take advantage of Mourinho's absence.

He said: "Jose's had any number of run-ins this year, maybe he's just a little bit tired of trying to argue his case.

"I think Jose's got a little bit of a gripe with the powers that be and maybe they're coming down really hard on him at the moment.

"I'm not quite sure of the full details of why he is banned but obviously that may well impact negatively on the team, or it might be a positive. It's a tough one to call from our point of view whether it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Hughes welcomes back defender Geoff Cameron from a thigh problem, leaving Marc Muniesa and Shay Given as his only absentees.

The Stoke boss acknowledged the depth of his squad was leaving some players unsatisfied.

Peter Crouch this week said he might be open to a move in January having not started a Premier League game all season, but Hughes wants to hold on to the striker.

He said: "It's understandable to a certain extent. What we've tried to be is fair and make Peter, and other players who've been in a similar situation, understand them not being involved. They just need to be patient.

"Peter is a unique player. He's a big part of what we do so I'd be very loath to let him leave."