Amir Khan's Trainer Launches Tirade Against Andreas Kotelnik

Amir Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, turned on his fighter's upcoming opponent, Andreas Kotelnik, with unusual venom in London today, accusing him of faking an infection that caused the original postponement of their world title fight.

Kotelnik, from the Ukraine, was due to defend his World Boxing Association light-welterweight title against Khan at the 02 Arena on Saturday night, but withdrew last week, complaining of two infected teeth. The fight goes ahead now at the MEN Arena in Manchester on 18 July.

The promoter, Frank Warren, hinted there might be an upside to the postponement, because HBO have a free date in their boxing schedule after the withdrawal through injury of Floyd Mayweather Jnr from his comeback fight in Las Vegas on that night against Juan Manuel Márquez. "We might get lucky," Warren said, "and get that date for Amir. I am waiting to hear from them."

Such Stateside exposure would do wonders for Khan's profile, but this prospect did little to placate the straight-talking Roach. "It's very disappointing," Roach said. "I know these things happen, but, hey, come on. This guy says he's going to knock us out faster than [Breidis] Prescott, but then he gets a toothache and pulls out of the fight. I think it's bullshit."

Khan was more relaxed about the delay. "When I beat him, the last thing I want is people saying he beat a man with a toothache. I'm happy the fight is going ahead. That's the main thing. I didn't want to lose the chance for a world title."

Kotelnik said: "It was an accident that happened in training a few weeks ago, I can't remember when exactly, but I have injured two teeth. I am returning to the Ukraine tomorrow morning for a minor operation on one of the teeth. This will not affect my training and I will resume sparring within a week."

Khan returns to Los Angeles on Sunday to pick up his preparation at Roach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood. "Obviously we will now have to monitor the preparation as I will have been in training for 13 weeks by the time of the fight," he said. "The flying backwards and forwards between Los Angeles and the UK doesn't bother me. I sleep all the time on the plane anyway."

Roach expects Khan to stop Kotelnik. "You are going to have another world champion next month," he said. "No question about that."

They would do well not to take Kotelnik lightly. He is an accomplished boxer with a fine amateur pedigree and a professional record of 31 wins from 33 fights, one of those coming against the Welshman Gavin Rees, from whom he won the title by a last-round stoppage in Cardiff in March, 2008.