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Southampton - Guus Hiddink has attacked the decision to schedule Chelsea's FA Cup quarter-final meeting with Everton three days after the club's Champions League showdown against Paris Saint Germain.
Blues' interim manager Hiddink fears the demands being placed on his players are too high and believes it is time medical professionals had an influence on the fixture list.
Hiddink was speaking after his side's 2-1 victory at Southampton, a game in which Spanish winger Pedro limped off with a hamstring that could rule him out of the decisive second leg clash with PSG at Stamford Bridge on March 9.
"We have a tight schedule, Norwich on Tuesday and then Stoke and PSG. Then, surprisingly, the Everton game was put on a Saturday instead of a Sunday. Normally we should have played Liverpool on the Sunday," Hiddink said.
"I don't know who has decided that, all of a sudden. It was astonishing that people could change the kick-off time.
"We have PSG on the Wednesday night. Hopefully it doesn't go into extra-time. The players, not just Chelsea players, need time when the intensity of the league is like this.
"The medical people at the FA and the Premier League should make this known as well. We have to protect the players as well.
"The doctors should stand up and say: 'FA, television, whoever.... hey.' It's five games away, so there's time, but I'm frustrated by that."
