Mutu says sorry for Mourinho row

Adrian Mutu will today apologise for his outspoken attack on Jose Mourinho in a bid to salvage his Chelsea future.

The Romanian striker had a furious bust-up with Mourinho on is return to the club yesterday and a further meeting is planned for later today.

Mourinho is angry following Mutu's claims that he is in open conflict with the player.

Their disagreement spilled over after training yesterday, with both parties refusing to back down.

But Mutu is now prepared to offer a full apology for his comments and hopes to rebuild his career at the club he joined for £17million last summer.

Mutu said: "It was never my intention to insult the manager and I deeply regret the situation.

"I apologise for the inconvenience caused to the club and the management but all I want to do is play. I want to play for Chelsea, given the chance.

"I feel that I am fit, at the top of my profession and want to contribute to the amazing story that is Chelsea Football Club.

"I am perhaps guilty of wanting to play too much sometimes, but the manager's decision is final and I accept that. The gaffer is the gaffer and that's it.

"I have a burning passion to play football but would never attack the manager.

"He has my full support and I just want to show what I can do on the pitch."

Mutu defied Mourinho by playing for 90 minutes in Romania's 1-0 defeat to Czech Republic on Saturday, despite suffering from a persistent knee injury.

The former Inter Milan striker is aware of the furore his actions have caused at Stamford Bridge and accepts that a £120,000 fine is the least he can hope for.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri has launched a scathing attack on Mutu and Hernan Crespo.

In his book, Proud Man Walking, Ranieri said Mutu was an able striker but to win titles things have to be "right between the ears". Of Crespo, on loan at Inter Milan, he said: "There can be no place for nancy boys . . . a player cannot use every slightest setback as an excuse for malingering.

Blackburn have appointed former Chelsea keeper Kevin Hitchcock as their goalkeeping coach.

Hitchcock succeeds Roy Tunks who has joined former manager Graeme Souness at Newcastle.

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was a team-mate of Hitchcock's at Chelsea - the keeper was at the club for 13 years and also worked under Rovers' first-team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki at Stamford Bridge.