Eva Carneiro seeking claim against Chelsea for constructive dismissal

Amid reports she is to sue the club for constructive dismissal, Chelsea say they have not received any legal documents from Eva Carneiro.

Carneiro has made her first public appearance since her acrimonious departure from Chelsea earlier this season.

British employment tribunals are held in public, which could have the potential to embarrass Chelsea. However, it is also understood that the two parties could reach an out-of-court settlement about the matter, which would stop the case from getting complicated. Chelsea have previously said they can not comment on internal staffing matters.

The doctor was dropped from first-team duties on August 8 after she and physio John Fearn were criticised by manager Jose Mourinho for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard, which left the Blues temporarily down to nine men as he left the field for treatment.

Press Association are reporting that Carneiro has issued legal papers to the club, which looks likely to end in a hearing if Chelsea are unable to settle out of court.

The FA and Carneiro disagreed whether she was given a chance to contribute to the investigation, with the 42-year-old saying she was “at no stage requested by the FA to make a statement”. Choosing to ignore a few of the evidence will surely influence the outcome of the findings.

The deadline for submitting such a claim is next week, with the law allowing complainants a three-month window.

The Portuguese was cleared of using discriminatory language by the Football Association, although the governing body and Carneiro were at loggerheads as to whether the 42-year-pd was given the opportunity to contribute to the investigation.