Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has stressed he will not shirk any dispute with Alex Ferguson when they face Manchester United.
The London club take on the newly-crowned Premier League champions at Old Trafford on Sunday knowing a win will boost their chances of securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
However, there promises to be an interesting sub-plot at Old Trafford with Benitez, who has been fierce rivals with the United boss since his days as Liverpool manager, promising to stand his ground on the sidelines when their respective sides do battle.
“I don’t like personal confrontation, but obviously you want to stand up. The manager is there and you are close to them [on the touchline], so if he wants to fight, you have to fight,” Benitez said.
“I don’t have any problem with that. But I like to concentrate on football issues, that is the main thing, tactically and details about the game.
“In England, sometimes you talk about mind games, but the mind games are just an excuse when you don’t want to talk about the other things.”
A victory over United would see fourth-placed Chelsea move ahead of local rivals Arsenal and go three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham.
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