Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan can't believe the timing of international week.

Latics face European champions Chelsea in the big Premier League opener on Sunday week in front of the Sky cameras at the DW Stadium.

However, several of their players - including skipper Gary Caldwell, James McCarthy and Shaun Maloney - will have spent much of the lead-up away on international duty.

Whelan told the Wigan Evening Post: "It is scandalous, absolutely scandalous.

"The Premier League should stand up and be counted. They should say: 'Sorry, you're not doing that. You're not having our players at certain times of the year.'

"The Premier League is called the Premier League for a very good reason. It is the premier footballing league in the world.

"And they should be strong enough to be able to stop this sort of thing from happening.

"They're only friendlies - they're not even competitive internationals. It shouldn't be allowed."