Bruce adds to uproar over fixture schedule

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has joined the growing discontent at the demanding festive programme and branded a schedule of four games in eight days as “scandalous”.

Bruce believes the small band of elite clubs with big squads have a massive advantage when confronting so many games in close proximity.

City will travel to runaway Barclays Premiership leaders Chelsea tomorrow with only 15 first team players available and youngsters such as Mat Sadler and Matthew Birley will have to make up the numbers.

Bruce said: “We are down to the bare bones. Everyone who is fit will travel to Chelsea and I couldn’t field a weakened team even if I wanted to!

“It is absolutely scandalous to ask professional players these days to play four games in eight days and I said beforehand that people would be dropping like flies. It’s happened with us and I am sure other clubs are the same.

“This programme helps the big clubs who can lose five or six players and still put out a really strong side but the rest of us get accused of fielding a weakened team when in reality it is just what is left of your squad.

“It is impossible to play that amount of games and we will have played Manchester United twice, Spurs, Chelsea and Wigan all within a matter of less than two weeks.

“There has got to be common sense as some months during the season we are playing as little as three games and having big breaks. Then, all of a sudden, we are asked to play four in eight days.

“There are certainly gaps in the season on a Wednesday night or whenever to fit in games, and this schedule is just nonsense.”