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LONDON — English Premiership champions Chelsea travel to Manchester City, last season’s runners-up, tomorrow with manager Jose Mourinho embroiled in a growing row over accusations he has sidelined team doctor Eva Carneiro.
British media reports claim Carneiro will no longer attend matches or training sessions after Mourinho reacted furiously to the sight of her and physiotherapist Jon Fearn running on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during the latter stages of last weekend’s opening 2-2 draw at home to Swansea City, which temporarily reduced Chelsea to nine players.
The outspoken Mourinho, who said that Carneiro and Fearn had been “impulsive and naive”, has received widespread criticism, with Liverpool’s former head of sports medicine Peter Brukner branding his behaviour “absolutely appalling”.
Fifa delivered what amounted to Mourinho on Thursday.
Professor Jiri Dvorak, Fifa’s chief medical officer, said that managers had no right to tell their medical staff whether or not they should go on the pitch to treat a player and that ultimately the doctor was in charge of what happened on the pitch.
Dvorak told Sky Sports that he fully backed the doctor’s actions.
Asked how much say the manager should have if a player is injured, Dvorak explained: “In medical aspects, in medical diagnosis, the manager has nothing to say.
“This is our professional law, and our ethical duty to look after the players’ health.”
Asked if the manager could ever tell the medical team not to enter the field, Dvorak said: “I can’t see such a situation and we have to defend the position of the doctor.
“Everyone involved has to respect the fact the doctor is in charge.
“I don’t want to interfere with the club as such, but I would endorse clearly what the team doctor and the physiotherapist did. When they were asked, they had to come on to the pitch.”
Dvorak said that the doctor had to be on the bench to observe the game and was allowed on the field even without the referee’s permission if he or she saw a player suffer a suspected cardiac arrest or a head injury, including concussion.
“That is the sole decision of the doctor and we at Fifa will always endorse that,” he added.
The British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) said it supported the stance taken by the Premier League Doctors Group on Wednesday and called for a full review of the events at the match.
This was “essential to avoid any unnecessary risk to players in the future”, it said.
“Nothing takes precedence over the health and well-being of athletes,” BASEM said in a statement.
“And whoever decides a player needs help, medical staff have an absolute obligation to fully assess the athlete until satisfied they are fit to continue participation.”
It added that “all those involved in football have a moral obligation to assist medical staff to the best of their ability to minimise any risk of serious harm to players.”
Mourinho’s behaviour towards the Gibraltar-born Carneiro was “absolutely appalling”, Liverpool’s former head of sports science Peter Brukner told Talksport radio on Wednesday.
The Premier League Doctors Group said in their statement that removing the doctor from the team bench would be “unjust in the extreme” because she was doing her job properly.
Chelsea will be without goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, sent off against Swansea, but have a more than capable deputy in former Stoke City No 1 Asmir Begovic.
Both last season’s league meetings between Chelsea and their title rivals ended in 1-1 draws but City will have hope of a win after starting this campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory away to West Bromwich Albion on Monday.
Sergio Aguero may not be in their starting side after the striker played just the final 27 minutes against the Baggies following his return from international duty with Argentina.
“Whether I start or not remains to be seen,” Aguero told City’s website.
“I’m trying to get there and be in top condition, but arriving for pre-season later having taken part in the Copa America with Argentina means I need some additional time,” added the forward, who scored 32 goals in 41 appearances for City last term.
“With the whole season in mind, what matters the most is that I get in top form and don’t take any risks.”
Southampton are to set receive a double boost today when they face Everton at St Mary’s.
Dutch manager Ronald Koeman is in line to return after missing last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United because of Achilles tendon surgery and the Everton game could see the Saints hand a club debut to former Chelsea midfielder Oriel Romeu.
This will be Southampton’s first home league game since they signed off in May with a 6-1 victory over Aston Villa, a game marked by Sadio Mane’s 176-second hat-trick, the Premier League’s fastest ever.
“It was nice to end the season like that at St Mary’s,” Mane said. “I will try and score more than last season.”
Newcastle travel to Swansea looking to build on their point against the Saints, while Tottenham Hotspur — undone by Kyle Walker’s own goal in a 1-0 defeat by Manchester United — will look to bounce back at home to Stoke.
West Ham United, whose 2-0 win away to Arsenal was arguably the shock result of the first weekend, are at home to Leicester City — themselves 4-2 winners over Sunderland.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech will hope for a better second league game with the Gunners than his first, where the Chelsea great was blamed for both goals, in another London derby with Crystal Palace tomorrow.
Fixtures:
Today (All games at 4pm except indicated)
Southampton v Everton (13.45hrs)
Sunderland v Norwich City
Swansea City v Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur v Stoke City
Watford v West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United v Leicester City
Tomorrow
Crystal Palace v Arsenal (14.30 hrs)
Manchester City v Chelsea (17.00hrs)
Monday
Liverpool v Bournemouth (21.00hrs) — AFP
Online Reporter