Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has joked he will be blamed for the fixture congestion should the Blues taste success over Steaua Bucharest on Thursday. The Londoners must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit if they are to overcome Steaua and reach the last eight of the Europa League.

Asked about the possible fixture congestion, he said: "I can do nothing about that. I just concentrate on my job and try to do my best, preparing the team for every competition.

"Maybe someone else will blame me. Some people always say that it's my fault, that everything is my fault!

"You are clever enough to realise that I was joking. If something is wrong they want to blame me. But I have to manage this too.

"You have to analyse every single thing and you will decide what to do and still someone will criticise you. If you lose a game, it's 'oh, he picked the wrong player' or whatever.

"It's quite difficult, but each team is different and it depends on the players that you have, the positions and the congestion.

"I will try to lead by example, so I will concentrate on the next game. That is what I have to do, to make sure we compete in every single competition. The first one is on Thursday."