Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho slams club medics over Ander Herrera injury… but this is by no means the first time the Special One has gone to war with his team doctors
Old Trafford chief hit out at United's medical team but is no stranger to that, most notably with his Eva Carneiro battle
MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho has sensationally slammed his club medics over Ander Herrera’s injury against Sevilla.
The Spanish midfielder was withdrawn after just 17 minutes of the 0-0 draw, replaced by Paul Pogba.
Mourinho was not happy about the setback either, incredibly laying into his club doctors for claiming he was ready for action.
After the Sevilla game, Mourinho claimed: “I think it is a bad injury.
“He had a small injury that stopped him playing in the last couple of matches, but the medical department made him 100 per cent ready for last Saturday.
“We didn’t play him to give more work and more protection, but it looks like he wasn’t fully fit.
“The medical department made him fully fit. He trained and he looked fit. The way he was playing he showed that intensity that is only possible when you are fit.
“He was pressing really high, we were not giving one inch to them.
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“Then the back-heel created the contraction in the muscular area and now we have proof he was not 100 per cent fit.”
But this is by no means the first time the Special One has gone to war with his team doctors.
During his time at Chelsea particularly, Mourinho had a whole host of rows with medics… check out the full list below.
FEBRUARY 2005 – Chelsea, Neil Frazer quits
JUST months into his first stint at Stamford Bridge and Mourinho was at war with one of his medics.
Frazer quit the Blues just before Chelsea beat Liverpool in the League Cup final thanks to a row regarding injury-prone winger Arjen Robben.
Mourinho reportedly ordered Frazer have the flying Dutchman fit for the Cardiff showdown, just three weeks after breaking his foot.
After telling the Special One it would be impossible, Frazer was allegedly told he was no longer wanted in West London – and he promptly quit.
However, a club statement later revealed Frazer had “stepped down due to ill health”. Stress, perhaps?
OCTOBER 2006 – Chelsea, Petr Cech injury
WE all remember the horrific incident that led to Cech wearing a rugby-style skull cap for the rest of his career.
The then-Chelsea stopper took a knee to the head after being caught by Reading’s Stephen Hunt and had to be stretchered off.
However, Mourinho claims Cech was left stranded in the dressing room for half an hour with his life hanging in the balance.
Incredulous at the situation, Jose claimed: “If my goalkeeper dies in that dressing room or in the process it is something English football has to think about.”
However, the South Central Ambulance Service claims Mourinho’s version of events had “serious factual inaccuracies”.
They claim an ambulance arrived after just seven minutes and had Cech in hospital an additional 19 minutes later.
MARCH 2010 – “Dr Needles” bust-up
MOURINHO was the centre of attention again for a Chelsea clash… even though he was in charge of Inter Milan at this point.
The two clubs were set to go head-to-head in the Champions League – with Cech struggling for fitness for the Blues.
However, Mourinho suggested the club’s policy was to inject players back to fitness by dubbing club doctor Bryan English “Dr Needles”.
When quizzed on Cech, Jose claimed: ‘I don’t listen to those reports that he’s out for a month or more. Dr Needles can get him healthy enough to play — and play well.”
After all that, Ross Turnbull started in goal for the game as Chelsea crashed out of the tournament to Mourinho’s men.
AUGUST 2015 – Eva Carneiro row
ARGUABLY the most famous manager-doctor bust-up of all-time, Mourinho fell-out big-time with Carneiro following a 2-2 draw with Swansea.
Having already been reduced to ten men, thanks to a red card for No1 Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea were temporarily reduced to nine-man as Carneiro attended to an injury to Eden Hazard.
Mourinho was fuming, gesturing wildly at the Gibraltar-born doctor, calling her “impulsive and naive”.
Carneiro also claims Jose insulted her in Portuguese, however the FA cleared the boss of making discriminatory comments.
However, the pair never saw eye-to-eye again, with Carneiro not welcome at training, matches or even the team hotel.
She quit six weeks after the on-field incident.
But Mourinho is not a total monster, he has on more than one occasion leapt to the defence of his medics…
NOVEMBER 2014 – Chelsea vs Spain
AFTER playing starring roles in Chelsea’s win over West Brom, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas pulled out of the Spain squad for games against Belarus and Germany.
Spanish defender Sergio Ramos hit out at Mourinho, suggesting they weren’t in fact injured.
However, Jose took a swipe at Ramos, saying:
‘Since I’ve known Sergio Ramos he has been a fantastic football player, but he is not a doctor,’ the Chelsea boss said. “He is not a doctor and I am the same. I do my job the best I can but I am not a doctor.
“My doctor and the doctor of the Spanish national team, they had the scans and they decided that the player was not in the condition to play.
“I am nobody to go against it and I don’t think Sergio did a medicine Masters in the last couple of years to understand about it.”
MAY 2015 – Oscar head injury
WITH Chelsea on the brink of the Premier League title, Oscar was clattered by Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.
Despite suffering what appeared to be a head injury, the Brazilian midfielder returned to the field and played on.
Neuropathologist Dr Willie Stewart, a member of the FA’s expert concussion panel, claimed: “I’m amazed that in 2015 he stayed on the field.
“It’s hard to accept ‘we didn’t see it’ applies in this case.
“But even if we do believe that, his appearing three days later on the bench seems at odds with all current concussion protocols.”
However, Mourinho was quick to defend his medical team, saying: “He didn’t have a head injury. He had a shock, strong contact with Ospina. It was not a head injury.
“The medical department were fantastic with the treatment they gave him, in the decision to bring him out (of the game).”