Lawyers for former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro have served notice on the club that she intends to seek a claim for constructive dismissal, according to media reports on Thursday.
Several British media outlets said that legal papers were served on the London club this week, which will lead to an employment tribunal unless an out-of-court settlement can be reached.
British employment tribunals are held in public, which could have the potential to embarrass Chelsea, who are currently floundering in 15th place in the Premier League table.
Carneiro left Chelsea after being removed from first-team duties by manager Jose Mourinho, who had rebuked her and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for running onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during his side’s 2-2 draw with Swansea City on the season’s opening day, which temporarily left Chelsea with nine players.
To date Chelsea have repeatedly stated that they will not comment on internal staffing matters.
Mourinho said that Carneiro and Fearn had been “impulsive and naive” by going onto the pitch to treat Hazard, but the Premier League Doctors’ Group said failure to do so would have been a breach of their care of duty.
Mourinho was last month cleared by the Football Association of making discriminatory remarks to Carneiro, but she complained that she had not been asked by the FA to make a statement about what had happened.
“I was surprised to learn that the FA was allegedly investigating the incident of August 8 (the date of the Swansea game) via the press,” Carneiro said. “I was at no stage requested by the FA to make a statement.
“I wonder whether this might be the only formal investigation in this country where the evidence of the individuals involved in the incident was not considered relevant.”