Jose Mourinho responds to 'polite' and 'very well educated' Roy Keane after he was labelled a 'disgrace' for early handshake

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert backed his assistant, saying the Chelsea manager was disrespectful

Jose Mourinho (GETTY IMAGES)

Jose Mourinho has sarcastically accepted the criticism from Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert and assistant Roy Keane over the Chelsea manager's handshake towards the end of their Premier League clash last month.

Lambert and Keane declined the Blues manager's offer of a handshake in the latter stages of Villa's 3-0 loss at Stamford Bridge on September 27, with both expressing their annoyance towards Mourinho in the last 10 days.

Keane, who labelled Mourinho's behaviour "disgraceful", was scathing in his criticism, saying: "The game is still going on. You wouldn't do that on a Sunday morning, you would get knocked out."

Lambert agreed when asked this week if he felt Mourinho was "disrespectful" by not waiting until the end of the match for the handshake.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea's Sunday match at Crystal Palace, Mourinho said: "First of all, I want to say that I appreciate the comments.

"I think they are both two great examples of polite and very well educated people and because I am a humble guy who tries to learn every day and with every experience, I appreciate the comments."

Asked if he would do it again, Mourinho responded "yes", before responding "no" when asked if he could understand why someone would be upset by his actions.

He refused to comment when asked to respond over suggestions the action was arrogant.

Mourinho refused to rake over old ground following Arsene Wenger's apology for the Arsenal manager's push on the Portuguese during Chelsea's most recent match, a 2-0 defeat of Arsenal on October 5.

"I have no reaction," Mourinho added.

"You had my reaction after the match, where I told you nothing happened, and you still had the reaction from the FA (Football Association), disciplinary committees, all of them, that that nothing happened."

Roy Keane during the book launch at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin (PA)

Chelsea have a number of fitness concerns ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.

Diego Costa, Ramires (groin), Didier Drogba (ankle), Andre Schurrle (illness) and John Obi Mikel (undisclosed) will be assessed prior to the match.

Costa's fragile hamstrings have been the subject of much debate, but it is unclear what the latest issue is.

The £32million signing from Atletico Madrid, who has scored nine goals in seven Premier League games, reported to Chelsea's Surrey training base on Monday morning despite having been told to take two days off and return to training on Wednesday afternoon.

"The Spanish team played in Luxembourg on Sunday," Mourinho said.

"I gave them - Diego, (Cesc) Fabregas and (Cesar) Azpilicueta - two days off.

"Monday and Tuesday off, so they had to report to train Wednesday at 3pm and Diego was here Monday at 9am.

"So you can imagine how strong he was to be here Monday at 9am."

Asked if Costa was reporting for treatment, Mourinho said: "No comments."

Mourinho expressed his frustration with the scheduling of the Capital One Cup fourth-round tie at Shrewsbury, which comes 48 hours after the Premier League trip to Old Trafford.

He also was happy not to receive the Premier League manager of the month award.

Mourinho added: "The manager of the month always loses the next match. I don't want the award."

Mourinho's personality has seen him likened to Brian Clough, a comparison again made by Palace boss Neil Warnock this week.

"If Neil makes that comment obviously it makes me proud," Mourinho added.

"I feel obviously very flattered with this comment but I think there is no comparison because Mr Clough is a legend in English football and what he did especially with Nottingham Forest stays forever.

"A big loss for English football because he went so early, but I'm nobody compared with (him)."

Palace's defeat of Chelsea in March saw Mourinho concede defeat in the Premier League title chase.

"It was one of those games where I lost and I deserve to lose," he said.

"I know why I lost. That doesn't give me a lesson. I accept that.

"Last season we lost there because they were better than us, in every aspect of the game."

Chelsea lacked "balls" on that occasion, Mourinho said at the time, but now can exert their own influence.

"We have more personality to impose our game," Mourinho said.

"In their style, Crystal Palace is better than us. I think we have to try to play our game and not their game."

PA