Ex-Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro answers fans’ plea for Stamford Bridge return after new Reece James injury
FORMER Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro appeared to hint at a possible return as fans begged her to come back to Stamford Bridge.
Blues supporters are fearing the worst after Reece James limped off early against Bournemouth last night.
He appeared to be struggling with the same knee that he injured just before the World Cup.
James may well join N’Golo Kante, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Armando Broja, Wesley Fofana and Carney Chukwuemeka in the treatment room at the Cobham training ground.
And a few plucky Chelsea followers tried their luck by asking fan-favourite Dr Carneiro to come back and help the players.
Blues supporter CFCDubois on tweeted Carneiro and asked her: “One last dance?” with a photo of the Gibraltarian doc working in her role at Chelsea.
And she replied: “Venga,” which can be translated as “come on” or even “let’s go”.
CFCDubois then added: “We miss you.”
Other fans then piled in, imploring Carneiro to resume her position as first-team doctor.
One said: “Please come back home the boys really need you at this time.”
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Another wrote: “We the Chelsea fans will do everything absolutely possible to reunite with again… we need you back at Stamford Bridge – come back home ma’am.”
And a final user commented: “Please come back to Chelsea we really need you. The doctors present here are not helping matters at all.
“During your stay, we had no or little resurgences of injuries. Please you are needed at Chelsea again.”
Carneiro studied medicine and specialised in sport before taking on her first jobs in football with West Ham, the Olympics and the Lionesses before joining Chelsea in 2009.
She was promoted to work with the first team two years later by Andre Villas-Boas and continued in that role under Roberto Di Matteo, Rafael Benitez and Jose Mourinho as Chelsea won a host of silverware including the Champions League.
However, in August 2015 Mourinho criticised her and physio Jon Fearn for running on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard.
Carneiro left the club a month later after Mourinho was cleared of abuse and wrongdoing – but took Chelsea to court and settled for £5million over her dismissal.
The 49-year-old, who married explorer Jason De Carteret in 2015, worked as a consultant for a hospital in Qatar ahead of the World Cup and is a specialist at The Sports Medical Group in London.
She is also an investor in non-league side Lewes FC alongside Andy and Judy Murray.
Carneiro wanted to get involved with the non-league side after seeing their campaign called #CallHimOut – set up to highlight violence against women, as well as the men’s team tweeting they would call out misogynistic language if they heard any during games.