Ant up for Jose spat

Manchester United chief’s recent reference to a match-fixing scandal which Conte was caught up in – and cleared of – when he was manager of Serie B side Siena in 2011.

After the jibe Conte called his rival a “fake” and a “little man” before vowing to have a face-off with Mourinho when the teams meet at Old Trafford on February 25.

Some Chelsea officials believe ‘The Special One’ has got under Conte’s skin and is partly behind his meltdown.

The Blues boss recently told Chelsea officials he would cool the war of words – but made it clear he plans a confrontation at the Premier League game.

It is believed Chelsea will not prevent him tackling Mourinho, even though they would prefer a dignified end to the row.

United insiders say Mourinho will relish any clash and will be visible before and after the game.

Mourinho’s circle insist Conte provoked the feud during a 4-0 victory over United in October 2016.

As the goals went in on Mourinho’s first return to Chelsea since his sacking, Conte celebrated wildly and whipped up the crowd.