Mourinho criticises Premier League start date

The 'Daily Star' have reported that Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho complained that his players will not be back in enough time for the start of the Premier League on August 10.

He told the paper: "Three weeks out I think it's the minimum that your body and soul needs to rest and to come back and think about football again."

He went on to say, "bringing back players before that would be okay for the first game of the season, but then I may not have them available in three or four months."

"I think that three weeks is the minimum they need, which means that they will return in the week that the Premier League begins, and this means they will not be ready to start the league, something difficult to understand, we could have a week more to prepare them all."

Mourinho's complaints have, of course, fallen on deaf ears, as the Premier League match schedule is already set in concrete.

Mourinho will have to try and get the most out of his players as they face Leicester City on the first day of the season.