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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's frustration over the Premier League's fixture scheduling could intensify after City's match with Stoke was swiftly rearranged.

City's date with Stoke, initially set for March 11, had to be changed following their 5-1 dismantling of Huddersfield in the FA Cup fifth round. City will instead travel to Middlesbrough for their quarter-final on Saturday March 11.

The Premier League has hastily brought their home game with Stoke forward to Wednesday March 8 since City have a free midweek, leaving United with two matches yet to be rearranged.

United's FA Cup win over Blackburn on February 18 ensured their game with Southampton on Sunday March 12 would have to be moved yet the Premier League failed to bring the game forward to last night, when both clubs had a spare midweek. Instead, the fixture might have to be played in May.

The Premier League also left City and United supporters baffled earlier this week when they omitted the Manchester derby from the rescheduled list of April fixtures.

City were due to host United on the date of the EFL Cup final but the third Manchester derby between Mourinho and Pep Guardiola looks likely to be staged two months later on April 26.

If the derby is rearranged for the final week of April then United could play nine games in the penultimate month of the season, something they have not done since 1979.

Should United defeat Chelsea in their Monday night FA Cup quarter-final later this month, their away match at Burnley on April 23 will also have to be rescheduled, leaving just two free midweeks before the final game of the season against Crystal Palace.

Uefa rules stipulate domestic club matches must not clash with Champions League or Europa League ties. City have still managed to have their Stoke match played on a Champions League round-of-16 night next week.

United's FA Cup quarter-final replay at West Ham had to be played on a Champions League quarter-final night last season after the Football Association failed to find a suitable alternative date.

The tie kicked-off at the unusually early time of 7pm in an attempt to minimise the crossover but it still broke Uefa's rule that domestic games must end 30 minutes before European matches start. As a compromise, FA Cup quarter-final replays were scrapped ahead of this season.

United's quandary is if they attempt to reschedule matches on Uefa dates this season there are conflicting slots, since the Champions League and Europa League quarter and semi-finals are scheduled for the same weeks. United would be able to play Southampton in April if they are eliminated by FC Rostov in the round-of-16.

Regardless of United's European progress, only the weeks beginning April 24 and May 15 feature free midweeks to play games in hand.

United's busy April

April 1 United vs West Brom

April 4 United vs Everton

April 9 Sunderland vs United

April 16 United vs Chelsea

April 23 Burnley vs United (will be postponed if United reach FA Cup semi-finals)

April 30 United vs Swansea

Possible dates

April 13 Europa League quarter-final first leg

April 20 Europa League quarter-final second leg

April 26 City vs United

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