Intro:

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson clashes with a reporter who asks if he will play a weakened team against Chelsea.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Nigel Pearson, Leicester City manager:

Reporter: Will you field a weakened team against Chelsea?

"I think that's... well, so what's our strongest side? Do you know it?

Reporter: Well, the reason I'm asking is...

Pearson: "So, what's a weakened... Yeah, but you're asking a question which is loaded because... if the sides in the top seven are actually hoping that Leicester City keep their season alive, that's.... Our fundamental, our priority is getting it right for us. So a weakened side is being, I think, disrespectful to our squad of players."

Reporter: The reason I ask is that the Premier League have sanctioned other teams in this situation in the past for making a number of changes. And I suppose, does that come into your thinking?

Pearson: "I'm not sure the Premier League know our best side do they?"

Reporter: They didn't necessarily know Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers) best side and yet Mick McCarthy (former manager)...

Pearson: "I'm not interested."

Reporter: ...faced a charge for a weakened team. Would you make that many changes if you thought it was in the best interests of the club?

Pearson: "I'll pick the side that I think is best suited to winning this football match, as I do every time our team takes the field. And the considerations will be made for the well-being of our footballers, not for anybody else, for us. There's enough riding on our season and we've got to make sure that we play the best side that we can, and then the following game the best side that we can, or the side that I think, and we think, are best suited to winning that game. And outside of that, I'm not really interested in other people's arguments because I think I know a bit more about our team and our squad than people who don't work for us."