Football: Chelsea doctor's role scaled down after Mourinho fury

Eva Carneiro (centre) is still the first-team doctor and will continue working with the squad on a daily basis but her responsibilities at the club will be scaled back. PHOTO: REUTERS

(Reuters) - Chelsea's first-team doctor Eva Carneiro is set to lose her place on the bench for Sunday's trip to Manchester City following her criticism by manager Jose Mourinho, according to British media reports.

Carneiro is still the first-team doctor and will continue working with the squad on a daily basis but her responsibilities at the club will be scaled back, the reports said.

She will no longer attend training sessions, matches or enter the team hotel.

Mourinho was annoyed with his medical staff for entering the pitch to treat midfielder Eden Hazard in the third minute of stoppage time during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Swansea City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

With goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois already off the pitch after receiving a red card on 52 minutes, the Blues briefly went down to nine men after the staff ran on to treat Hazard.

An irate Mourinho suggested after the match that his medical staff did not understand the game. "I wasn't happy with them because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench, you have to understand the game," he said. "I was sure that Eden didn't have a serious problem. He had a knock and was very tired.

"My medical department left me with eight fit outfield players in a counter-attack after a set piece and we were worried we didn't have enough players left," the Portuguese manager added.

"I was unhappy with my medical staff. They were impulsive and naive."

Carneiro, who joined Chelsea in 2009, took to Facebook on Monday to thank people for their support in the wake of Mourinho's comments. "I would like to thank the general public for their overwhelming support. Really very much appreciated," she said.

The manager's relationship with his medical team has been strained for some time, due in part to first choice striker Diego Costa's recurrent hamstring problems.

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