Mourinho seething over Hunt challenge

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has accused Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt of inflicting a serious injury on goalkeeper Petr Cech - and then laughing about it.

The champions won 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium thanks to Frank Lampard's deflected free-kick but finished with nine men after Cech and his replacement Carlo Cudicini were both hospitalised. Cech suffered a head injury in a first minute collision with Hunt while Cudicini fell heavily in the final minute in a goalmouth melee.

Mourinho accepted the second incident had been unfortunate but had nothing but scathing words for Hunt saying: "I saw both incidents on TV and they are completely different. The second was a violent fall and a free-kick against Reading. The first one was unbelievable. The goalkeeper has the ball in his hands, slides and the number 10 cannot get the ball. He goes with the knee into his face."

He added: "If his head bones are not broken then he is a lucky boy. It was a very bad challenge. He was completely knocked out in the dressing room and went to hospital.

"I'm not saying his intention was to send my keeper to hospital. But it was a very stupid challenge - one for the authorities to look at in the same way they looked at Ben Thatcher on Pedro Mendes.

"You see players avoiding the keeper by jumping or going with the foot for the ball but when a player goes with the knee direct to the face he doesn't want to avoid him.

"After that he turned, came back and was laughing right in front of us. He was motivating his people but gave not one single sign that he was worried about the situation."

Hunt denied he had been deliberately reckless.

He said: "I was 100% intent on winning the ball. I hope Petr Cech is not too badly hurt and I hope he makes a full recovery as soon as possible."