Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed the Premier League's Christmas fixture list has been "chosen to give rest to some and problems for others" with leaders Chelsea handed only three games in 10 days over the festive period.
United, who face Sunderland at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, must negotiate three games in eight days, with clashes also lined up against Middlesbrough on Dec. 31 and a trip to West Ham two days later.
But with Liverpool forced to play three times in seven days, and Arsenal and Manchester City facing the same workload as United, Mourinho believes former club Chelsea have been handed an advantage by the imbalanced fixture programme.
"The busy period is for some clubs, not for everyone," Mourinho said. "If you analyse the fixtures, there are clubs with no congestion.
"It looks like fixtures are chosen to give rest for some and to create problems to others.
"But we are used to it because we are in the Europa League and the Europa League is competition that creates more difficulties -- Southampton know that, Tottenham will. For us, it's more of the same."
Despite the heavy workload, Mourinho insists United go into the Christmas period with their resources stronger than at any time this season due to the injury list diminishing in recent weeks.
"It's good for us to have everyone available apart from Luke Shaw and he's not far away," Mourinho said. "Central defender position we have now all of them.
"Smalling is back, Bailly is back, Blind is fine, Rojo fine, and it is a position where it's important to have stability in options.
"We were in a difficult position a couple of months ago but now we are safe. We know Bailly is going to African Cup in January. For the next three matches we know what we have."