GUUS HIDDINK has slapped Aston Villa manager Remi Garde across the wrists for tapping up his players after insisting striker Loic Remy is not available for loan.
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| Loic Remy netted seven Premier League goals in 19 appearances for Chelsea last campaign. |
In his desperation to land a player capable of kick-starting a bid for survival, Garde openly courted Remy through the media, outlining the benefits a temporary move to Villa Park could bring during the second half of the season.
Garde said: "I know him well and I also know that he loves English football. We're probably not the only ones trying to get him. He's looking at a place with the French national team and if he came here he would be the main man.
"From that point of view, Villa wouldn't be the worst place to play and put himself on view. I can't tell you what our chances of signing him are. He is one of a number of players I'm trying to attract to the club for sure.
"Loic is quite a special one because he knows the country and the league."
However, the chances of doing an £80,000-a-week deal for the 28-year-old looked remote when news of Garde's overtures reached Chelsea's training ground in Cobham.
Hiddink rebuked: "You have to respect where the players are. If you are interested, talk first to the people with whom they are contracted. You cannot go into details. I don't think we or the management will go into a similar situation.
"Things must be done if you want to reinforce your squad, or if other clubs want to do so, so you talk directly to the management of the club who owns the player. You don't go through the side door."
Instead the Dutchman is determined that Remy remains at Stamford Bridge, overcomes his injury difficulties and helps Chelsea climb their own way out of the bottom half of the table.
"The player has signed a contract here and must be fit for us," he said. "He's having a difficult time regarding his injuries. He has to prove first of all that he's a good Chelsea player. He has a calf problem for several days."
Hiddink seems less tolerant of the problems facing Radamel Falcao, whose injury plague will extend to at least another 10 days before he can even begin to resume training.
He has been linked with a move to Monaco, but that deal could be scuppered if the striker cannot prove his fitness before the end of the month.
"There's been no contact at this moment," Hiddink said. "I don't want to go there. We have an open period from first to the last day of the January window. It's not good to talk in advance in this case.
"First of all it's important, in the situation Chelsea are in, that we have the most powerful squad possible. If something happens, always there are consequences. But at the moment, we are back to square one. He's in treatment at the moment. He cannot appear on the pitch.
"He was out and our medical staff tried to build him up, and he had a setback which is not always a positive signal. We hope within 10 days he might be fit again. Not to play, no, just to train."
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