Jose: Medics May Return  (Sky Sports)

Jose Mourinho says Eva Carneiro and Jon Fearn could return to the Chelsea bench in the future - but will not be on duty at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.

Carneiro – the club doctor – and physio Fearn were criticised by Mourinho after running onto the pitch to treat Chelsea winger Eden Hazard in the closing minutes of their 2-2 home draw with Swansea City last weekend.

It was then revealed that Carneiro would continue in her role as first-team doctor, but only work at the club's training ground and not attend first-team games.

Mourinho answered a single question about the situation at his news conference – asked by Sky Sports News HQ’s Andy Burton – before giving a statement in response to the attention the incident has attracted.

"First of all I want to say I have a fantastic medical department led by Dr Paco Biosa. I have a good relationship with them,” he said.

“They tell me they have never been praised as much as they have done by me in the last couple of years.

“Jon Fearn and Dr Carneiro will not be on the bench on Sunday but that doesn’t mean they cannot be in the future.”

Mourinho said the decision not to have Carneiro and Fearn on the Chelsea bench on Sunday was entirely his and added: "They will not be on the bench on Sunday, that is clear, that is my responsibility."

"Normally when things go well managers keep it to themselves. I have praised them lots of times in the last couple of years and they don't forget that.

"They also told me that we have had disagreements during that period. We need disagreements to improve.

"We work together and we improve together. That is the way we do things. It is a relationship that is open to disagreement."

Mourinho also played down the importance of which staff members he selects to sit on the bench.

"I have to say that for some people the bench is very important," he said.

"For other people it is not important. For other people the most important thing is not what people think you do, it is what you do. The bench is my responsibility and when you ask me (who will be on the bench), obviously it is
my decision, no-one else's.

"Every week I face the decision about the bench. With 25 players, if my mathematics is not bad, 11 on the pitch, seven on the bench, seven of them are not even on the bench. I have to choose.

"I have seven assistants and only four can go on the bench, I have to choose three of them (to miss out). We have four kit men, only one goes on the bench, three stay out. Medical department, only two go on the bench and we have more than a dozen.

"Important to be on the bench? For some. For others it is more important what they do. Their contribution. What they do behind the scenes and the good of the team."

Mourinho then indicated he had spoken enough on the episode, saying: "If you want to talk to me about football I'm here, if you want to talk to me about other things I'm not here.

"If somebody thinks that a disagreement between two members of the medical staff and the manager can affect the week, it is somebody that does not have a clue what football is and what preparation for matches is."