Suspended Chelsea doc to sue

Chelsea’s suspended club doctor, Eva Carneiro, is preparing legal action against the club. The 41-year-old has not worked for the Premier League champions since coming on the pitch – against the wishes of manager, Jose Mourinho – to treat Eden Hazard on the opening day of the season.

Mourinho, who did not think Hazard was seriously injured to be taken off, has not permitted her to attend the club’s training centre at Cobham or the team hotel.

Carneiro and the club physio, Jon Fearn, who has also been suspended since the 2-2 draw with Swansea, are anxious to return to their place on the Chelsea bench. It is a place Carneiro has occupied since Andre Villas-Boas appointed her head doctor four years ago. The case is due to be reviewed by FIFA’s medical committee on Friday.

If no offer of reinstatement from the club is forthcoming, she is likely to issue legal proceedings against the club and it is understood sexism could form a key part of her case. She alleges that Mourinho referred to her as “a secretary” in his post-match comments.

Mourinho, who had seen goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, dismissed earlier in the match, alleged that Carneiro and Fearn should have realised that bringing Hazard off would have reduced his team to eight outfield players.

“Even if you are a kit man, a doctor or a secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game. I was sure he hadn’t a serious problem. He was very tired but my medical department, on an impulse, was naïve and left me with eight outfield players on a counter-attack,” he said.