Jose Mourinho v Eva Carneiro: Chelsea manager says doctor could return to bench

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists under-fire medical duo Jon Fearn and Eva Carnerio could return to the Blues’ bench at some point this season.

The duo have been banished from pitchside duties following last weekend’s misunderstanding over an injury sustained by Eden Hazard, but the Portuguese claimed that situation may not be permanent.

Speaking for the first time about the argument that has raged around Stamford Bridge all week, Mourinho said: “First of all I want to say I have a fantastic medical department led by Dr Paco Biosca. I have a good relationship with them.

“They tell me they have never been praised as much as they have been 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.”

Chelsea appeal against Thibaut Courtois dismissal

Chelsea will appeal against the red card shown to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Swansea at Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old Belgium international was sent off on 52 minutes for denying Bafetimbi Gomis a clear goalscoring opportunity, with the Swans striker equalising from the penalty spot.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho refused to discuss the decision after the match.

Chelsea's appeal will be heard by the Football Association on Tuesday.

If it fails, Courtois' expected one-match ban would see him miss the trip to last season's runners-up Manchester City on Sunday.

Asmir Begovic, a summer signing from Stoke, made his Blues debut as Courtois' replacement against the Swans.

Silva inspiration earns the City a comfortable win

Manchester City got their Premier League campaign underway in style after David Silva inspired them to a resounding 3-0 victory over West Brom at the Hawthorns.

Silva was instrumental throughout, and will claim the visitors’ opener when he deflected Yaya Toure’s effort past a stranded Boaz Myhill after nine minutes.

Toure emphatically doubled City’s lead halfway through the first half, before Rickie Lambert and Saido Berahino went close to halving the defecit for the Baggies.

City captain Vincent Kompany headed in a fine third to make sure of the points after the break, duly sending City top of the infant Premier League table on goal difference.

Baggies manager Tony Pulis adopted a bold formation from the outset considering the calibre of the opponents, with both Berahino and new signing Lambert starting up front.

But the visitors soon began to unpick those tactics, and they took the lead in bizarre circumstances inside ten minutes when Silva got the faintest touch to Toure’s weak effort before it trickled over the line.

If the first goal was scrappy, City’s second was delicious. Toure, who showed glimpses of the form that saw him fire 20 goals in the 2013/2014 season, exchanged passes with Wilfried Bonybefore caressing the ball into the top corner from 20 yards.

£49m Debutant Raheem Sterling could have had a third before the break but shot feebly at Myhill, before Berahino had an effort correctly disallowed for offside.

The hosts began the second half far more positively and went close twice through Lambert and Berahino again, but Kompany’s superb header from from Silva’s corner just before the hour mark quashed any thoughts of a comeback.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini will be encouraged by the clinical manner of his side's display, particularly with title rivals Chelsea and Arsenal dropping points on the opening weekend and Jose Mourinho’s champions up next at the Etihad on Sunday.

Kevin De Bruyne’s ‘head has been turned’, admits Wolfsburg director

Wolfsburg's director of sport Klaus Allofs has admitted consistent links away from the club have “definitely turned Kevin De Bruyne’s head”, amid reports of a £46million bid from Manchester City.

The Belgium international attracted a host of top suitors following a shining campaign for the Bundesliga side last season, with the playmaker crowned Germany’s Player of the Season as Wolfsburg finished runners-up to Bayern Munich.

And speculation over the 24-year-old's future continued to circulate this week, with reports surfacing of a huge offer from Premier League side City.

Reports in a number of newspapers this weekend suggested the Blues are confident of tying up the deal ahead of next weekend’s clash with De Bruyne’s former club Chelsea.

And while club chief Allofs insists Wolfsburg are in no way pressured to sell their midfield star, he admits De Bruyne is leaving his options open.

"I think some other clubs have definitely turned Kevin's head," Allofs told Kicker magazine.

"Some huge figures are doing the rounds and I can understand why Kevin is leaving everything open.

"He's got to listen to the offers. I can't expect from him that he doesn't even want to entertain them."

The final decision ultimately rests with his club, however, and Allofs has repeated over and over again that Wolfsburg are not willing to sell.

But at the same time, he knows it is going to be difficult to keep De Bruyne in Germany for the remainder of his four-year contract.

"If he was only contracted to us until 2017, then yes, it would be different," Allofs told the Wolfsburger Allgemeine newspaper. "But let's be honest about it - it's highly unlikely that he'll stay with us right up until 2019."

Hertha Berlin team bus shot at in Germany

Hertha Berlin's team bus has been shot at on the eve of a German Cup match.

The Bundesliga club say  the bus was fired at by a motorcyclist in Bielefeld in north-west Germany but added that no-one was injured.

Hertha are staying near Bielefeld before their first-round tie with German second division side Arminia Bielefeld on Monday night.

Only the driver was on board at the time of the shooting and police are now investigating.

The vehicle was travelling from the team hotel to pick the players up from Bielefeld Central Station.

Hertha say the motorcyclist had overtaken the bus and threatened the driver "with his fist", before turning and pointing a gun at the bus and the driver.

Pictures from the club show the windscreen of the bus with a bullet hole.

Hertha chief executive Michael Preetz said: "We are deeply shocked and hope that the perpetrators will be caught. Luckily our bus driver got off with a fright."

Arminia Bielefeld tweeted:  "We are shocked by the attack on the team bus from HerthaBSC."

Brendan Rodgers lauds Philippe Coutinho's "phenomenal strike"

Brendan Rodgers hailed Philippe Coutinho’s “phenomenal strike” as Liverpool avenged last season’s humiliation at the hands of Stoke.

The reds were humbled 6-1 on the final day of last season and it looked as though they were going to be disappointed again before the Brazilian unleashed a rocket to beat Jack Butland.

And Rodgers praised his side’s defence to hold out Stoke and keep the team in a position to win the game so late on.

“When you come away from home to Stoke, you know it’s always going to be a tough game, every game in the Premier League is a tough game so you have to ensure that you can weather any storm that there is,” said the Northern Irishman.

“We didn’t have too many chances or opportunities against us but you’ve still got to defend because they have so many outstanding players. Then you grow into the game but it’s important to defend it well. We know we have the quality to win games.

 “It was a wonderful strike and we’ve seen so many of those from outside the box. His first part was outstanding.

“He rolled the player really well, got away from him with his speed and then hit the shot which was a phenomenal strike and a great goal to win the game.”

Rodgers was also keen to highlight the progress his side have made over the summer and the stark contrast in performance now compared to at the end of last season at the Britannia.

“For us, on the back of where we were 11 weeks ago, it was important to put in a performance and a result,” he added.

“I thought the players were absolutely outstanding, they showed great determination and then a moment of quality won the game.”

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Jamie Vardy apologises for 'racist slur'

Leicester's Jamie Vardy has apologised and his club have promised to carry out an investigation after claims that the striker made a racial slur in a casino.

"I wholeheartedly apologise for any offence I've caused," Vardy, 28, said.

"It was a regrettable error in judgement I take full responsibility for, and I accept my behaviour was not up to what's expected of me."

Vardy scored the opening goal in Leicester's 4-2 win against Sunderland on Saturday.

He has scored 26 goals in 98 league games for the Foxes and made his international debut for England in June.

A Leicester City spokesman added: "We expect the highest standards from our players on and off the pitch and for them to set an example as role models in our community.

"We have noted Jamie's apology and will begin a process of investigation into the incident imminently. There will be no further comment until this process has concluded."

Two months ago, Leicester sacked three players after they took part in a racist sex tape filmed on the club's end-of-season tour of Thailand.

Tom Hopper, Adam Smith and James Pearson - the son of former Foxes manager Nigel - had their contracts terminated following an internal investigation by the club.

Hammers punish poor Gunners with brilliant display at the Emirates

West Ham delivered the first shock result of the new Premier League season by deservedly beating an insipid Arsenal side at the Emirates.

On Slaven Bilic’s English managerial debut, the Hammers shocked Arsene Wenger’s much-fancied side when Cheikhou Kouyate capitalised on a mistake by new Gunners goalkeeper Petr Cech just before half time.

Cech was then accountable again for West Ham’s second when Mauro Zarate caught out the ex-Chelsea man from distance with just over half an hour remaining.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came close to grabbing a goal back but, in truth, the Gunners never really threatened to mount a comeback as the Hammers claimed bragging rights in the first London derby of the season.

Bilic handed 16-year-old Reece Oxford, the club’s youngest ever player, a surprise first league start, and he showed composure that belied his tender years with an accomplished display at the base of a midfield diamond.

Arsenal seemed devoid of the fluency usually so synonymous with their build up play, with the Gunners reduced to speculative efforts from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla in the early stages.

Angelo Ogbonna, the summer signing from Juventus, looked commanding on his West Ham debut at centre-back, although he was fortunate when Aaron Ramsey’s shot deflected off him and onto the Hammers’ crossbar.

With the half seemingly fizzling out, Bilic’s side delivered the ultimate sucker punch. Cech inexplicably rushed off his line in an attempt to meet the impressive Dimitri Payet’s free kick, but Kouyate nipped in front of him to head into an unguarded net.

Arsenal failed to improve after the break, and just before the hour mark Cech was caught out again by Zarate, who somehow wrong-footed the Czech international with a tame effort from 20 yards.

The Gunners introduced Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez in an attempt to inject some initiative late on, but their introductions only served to unsettle the Gunners' formation.

The result and the nature of the defeat may raise some interesting queries for Wenger to consider with three weeks of the transfer window remaining, but for Bilic it was the perfect way to start his tenure.