'I spent three weeks thinking I had terminal cancer - then doctors admitted they'd got it wrong,' says furious mother.

A mother spent three weeks in turmoil after doctors told her she had terminal cancer - only to discover there was nothing wrong with her.
Evelina Powell, 32, was rushed to hospital after collapsing at work and given blood tests and a CT scan.
Doctors thought she had suffered a mini-stroke which was later ruled out. An MRI scan then detected a possible tumour, instead.

Misdiagnosis: Evelina Powell (with daughter Sophie, four) spent three weeks believing she had terminal cancer after doctors said cancer had eaten away a 50 pence-sized hole in her skull

Mrs Powell claims she she was told that cancer had eaten away a 50 pence sized hole in her skull.
Terrified she was going to die, she began to get her affairs in order to ensure her two-year-old daughter Sophie would be cared for.
Her family from Poland also made plans to come and visit her.
But three weeks later, experts at Charing Cross Hospital in London gave her the all clear.

 

A French woman got more than she bargained for when she tucked into a piece of Christmas cake.
The 72-year-old had unwittingly swallowed a spiky axe-shaped toy on the cake - which then perforated her small intestine.
The woman turned up at the emergency department of a Paris hospital after suffering pain around her belly button for three days, according to a case report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

More than a mouthful: A 72-year-old women unwittingly swallowed a spiky axe-shaped toy on a cake - which then perforated her small intestine

She had vomited once, had a temperature of 38°C and tenderness on the right side of the abdomen.
Blood tests showed very high levels of inflammation in her body (due to the foreign object).
After undergoing a CT scan of her abdomen at the Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, doctors discovered damage to the mesentery, which connects parts of the small intestine to the back wall of the abdomen.

 

But the scan also revealed an axe-shaped foreign body perforating part of the woman's duodenum - the highest part of the small intestine.
Surgery to explore the woman's abdominal cavity led to doctors removing the green 2cm-long axe.
The patient then reported that she had eaten a Christmas cake seven days days earlier, and the axe had been a decoration on it.

The woman turned up at the emergency department of a Paris hospital after suffering pain around her belly button for three days. She also had pain in her side and had vomited

A scan revealed an axe-shaped foreign body perforating part of the woman's duodenum - the highest part of the small intestine. She then had surgery to remove the green 2cm-long toy (pictured between the surgical instrument)

A perforated duodenum is a rare, life threatening injury, usually associated with blunt abdominal trauma such as this.
The perforation was repaired with sutures, and the patient recovered and was discharged after 10 days.

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Too good to be true?

The makers of Full & Slim claim that of 500 women who drank it before every meal, 70 per cent lost a stone or more in six weeks (file picture)

It sounds too good to be true. A diet drink which claims to help people lose up to a stone in weight by mimicking the actions of a gastric band is to go on sale in Britain.
The makers of Full & Slim say it works by expanding in the stomach to convince the drinker that he or she is full.
They claim it can help overweight people lower their cholesterol, absorb fats more efficiently and reduce their chance of developing diabetes.
The drink contains l-carnitine, an amino acid which helps burn fat in the body and turn it into energy, and glucomannan, a natural ‘super-fibre’ derived from the tuberous roots of the konjac plant.
When glucomannan comes into contact with water in the intestine it increases in volume, becoming almost gel-like, causing food to move more slowly through the digestive system.
This, in turn, helps control levels of sugar in the bloodstream.
The makers say that of 500 women who drank the supplement before each meal, around 70 per cent lost a stone or more in weight within six weeks.
Even women who simply took the drink, without dieting or completing any exercise, lost up to 3lbs a week.
Full & Slim director James Harrington said: ‘The combination of ingredients suppresses appetite and mimics the effects of a gastric band, without undergoing the trauma of invasive surgery.’

 

However experts are sceptical about the benefits of natural foods and supplements that claim to speed up weight loss, with many studies claiming over-the-counter drinks and shakes produce no more weight loss than a placebo.

But one recent survey found that, on average, volunteers given 4g of glucomannan a day for five weeks recorded a 5.1 per cent reduction in body weight, as well as a 5.54 per cent drop in their body mass index and 14 per cent drop in cholesterol.

L-caratine in the drink expands the stomach, making the drinker feel full, similar to a gastric band (pictured)

By contrast, slimmers offered a dummy drug or placebo reported drops in weight of just 1.93 per cent, a 1.97 per cent fall in BMI and 12 per cent drop in cholesterol.
The drinks, which come in fruit-flavoured sachets, cost around £1.38 each or £28.95 for 21. Slimmers are advised to drink one with water 30 minutes before every meal. They will be sold at Boots from next month.
Last month scientists revealed they had developed an implant containing genetically engineered cells which could replace the need for gastric band surgery.
It responds to fat in the bloodstream by producing a hormone signal that tells the brain: ‘You’re full, stop eating’.

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Chinese scientists have created the world's first glow-in-the-dark pigs that emit a fluorescent green light.

Have you ever fancied yourself as an amateur hacker? Or perhaps a future cyber security soldier defending against malicious malware?
Well, maybe your dream could become a reality. MailOnline has teamed up with the Cyber Security Challenge and Blackberry to offer a festive code breaking challenge that will test your skills.
The game consists of four separate images. Right click on each image and save it to your desktop. After this you’ll need to use your ingenuity to find a hidden numerical or alpabetical code inside by manipulating the image.
Right click on each image and then click 'save as' before manipulating it to find the hidden code

 

CLUE: Sometimes things are not always what they appear to be, maybe there is something in the numbers. But can you work out how to find the numbers first?

For example, some codes might be revealed by altering the colour and contrast of an image. By putting the image through photo-editing software, seemingly impossible codes are fully revealed.
Or another trick might be to convert the image into another format that then exposes the image's secret.

Scientists create the world's first glow-in-the-dark PIGS after injecting them with jellyfish DNA.

Chinese scientists have created the world's first glow-in-the-dark pigs that emit a fluorescent green light.
The piglets acquired their bizarre ability to glow under 'black' or UVA light after their embryos were injected with DNA from a jellyfish.
Experts claim that the 10 young animals should live as long as any other pig and that the findings could help develop cheaper drugs for humans.

The piglets were born earlier this year and acquired their bizarre ability to glow under 'black' light after their embryos were injected with the DNA of a jellyfish

GREEN RABBITS AND OTHER GLOW-IN-THE-DARK ANIMALS

Researchers in Hawaii and Turkey successfully created a litter of eight rabbits, including two kits that glow green when the lights are out, in August of this year.
The rabbits, which look identical to their white siblings in daylight, were born at a research center in Turkey.
Just like with the pigs, the fluorescent colouring is an indicator that genetic material injected into the embryos was incorporated into the rabbit's natural make up and it is hoped the experiment is a first step to producing medicine for genetic diseases.
The experiment, which used fluorescent protein from jellyfish, furthers the research started in the 1980s when glow in the dark mice were created.
Since then, scientists have recreated the experiment in kittens, puppies, monkeys and piglets.
While most glow green in the dark, in 2007 South Korean scientists managed to develop cats that glowed red under ultraviolet light.

The technique was developed by reproductive scientists at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa's John A. Burns School of Medicine.
The same method was used to create the world's first glow-in-the-dark rabbits in Turkey earlier this year, where they are currently working to create a  glowing sheep.
Dr Zhenfang Wu and Dr Zicong Li of the South China Agricultural University have detailed the research that produced the pigs in a study that will be published the journal Biology of Reproduction. 

In a video accompanying the research, the pigs grunt when the lights are turned off and after a short while begin to squeal, perhaps hinting that they are a little scared of the dark.
The green tint indicates that the fluorescent genetic material injected into the pig embryos has been incorporated into the animal’s natural make-up. 

Under normal artificial light, the piglets look entirely normal (pictured). The technique was developed by reproductive scientists at the University of Hawaii and was used to create the world's first glow-in-the-dark rabbits in Turkey earlier this year

'It’s just a marker to show that we can take a gene that was not originally present in the animal and now exists in it,' explained Dr Stefan Moisyadi, a bioscientist at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Biogenesis Research.
Dr Moisyadi said the animals are not affected by the fluorescent protein and will have the same life span as other pigs.
'The green is only a marker to show that it’s working easily,' he said.

 

Scientists create glow-in-the-dark pigs using jellyfish DNA

Researchers in Hawaii and Turkey successfully created the litter of eight rabbits (pictured), which included two kits that glow green when the lights are out. The fluorescent colouring is an indicator that genetic material injected into the embryos was incorporated into the rabbit's natural make up

The ultimate goal of the research is to introduce beneficial genes into larger animals to create less costly and more efficient medicines.
'[For] patients who suffer from haemophilia and need the blood-clotting enzymes in their blood, we can make those enzymes a lot cheaper in animals rather than a factory that will cost millions of dollars to build,' Dr Moisyadi explained.
The Institute for Biogenesis Research at the John A. Burns School of Medicine focuses on reproductive research. Its aims to continue to improve human in vitro fertilization techniques.

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How a book really can change your life.

Many people have claimed that reading a special book has transformed their life, but now scientists have discovered that enjoying a novel can make a real, measurable change in the brain too.
U.S. researchers used fMRI scanners to identify brain networks associated with reading stories and found that changes in the brain linger for a few days after reading a powerful work of fiction.
They set out to unravel the mystery of how stories ‘get into’ the brain and find the lingering effects of literature.

Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said reading a novel can cause changes in the 'resting-state connectivity' of the brain, which can last for days. They set out to unravel the mystery of how stories 'get into' the brain and find the lingering effects of literature

Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said reading a novel can cause changes in the ‘resting-state’ of the brain, which can last for days.

User data shows London, Lagos and Istanbul are among the top places to relocate.

Over 15 per cent of the Earth’s population use Facebook, with 1.19 billion users logging on each month.
The social network knows intimate details about most of these people - whether it be what they eat for lunch or who they spend most of their time with.
While the concept is unnerving, the vast quantities of personal data can also provide fascinating insights about the world we live in and how it’s changing.

 

This map represents coordinated migrations over the world. The map highlights (in yellow and blue) the countries with the largest urbanisation growth between 2000 and 2012, according to the data from the World Bank. The data found that Lagos, Nigeria grew 18.6 per cent between 2000 and 2012 as a destination city

Facebook data scientists recently compared users’ hometowns with their current residences to uncover the top 10 cities that had ‘coordinated migrations’- or the movement of large numbers of people from one place to another.

 

Aguero, Hazard and Jagielka make my team of the season so far, but who else is in the mix? And which boss should take charge of my all-star XI?

GOALKEEPER

Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)
Despite his error against West Ham, he seems stronger and more composed than other young keepers. Arsenal’s back four are more confident and that gives him a clearer picture of the game unfolding in front of him.

Safe hands: Wojciech Szczesny has helped Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table with some fine performances

DEFENCE
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
He’s still developing but his improvement has been massive. When he first arrived he was overplaying but he’s cut out the mistakes, is a better passer and is a big part of Everton’s future.
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)
He has improved enormously over the past few years and loves to home in on danger. He has great balance and movement and he has looked majestic at times.

No way through: Everton's Seamus Coleman (left) and Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny (right) have helped their respective teams keep plenty of clean sheets

Phil Jagielka (Everton)
He may not be the tallest or quickest but he is an excellent all-round defender and he reads the game so well. He is as important for Everton as Jamie Carragher was for Liverpool.

Captain fantastic: Everton skipper Phil Jagielka (right) has shown a natural ability to read the game this season

Luke Shaw (Southampton)
He’s so young, yet it’s like he’s played in the Premier League for years. He’s direct, plays with a maturity beyond his years and though he’s still a work in progress, he has plenty of time on his side.

Big future: Southampton left-back Luke Shaw (right) has impressed for Mauricio Pochettino's side

MARTIN KEOWN'S XI AND MANAGER

Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)
Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Luke Shaw (Southampton)
Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Manager: Roberto Martinez (Everton)

MIDFIELD
Yaya Toure (Man City)
Toure is the supreme midfielder in the Premier League.
When he is really focused, he can be an awesome all-purpose player. He can sit, hold, pass, fly forward, finish: the lot.
Fernandinho (Man City)
With Toure, he is forming the best central midfield partnership In the League.
They act like a piston, where one stays and one goes. He’s tenacious and he and Toure do the work of three men in midfield.
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
He’s taken things to another level and has been one of the stand-out players this season.
He scores, assists and tackles and he believes in himself and trusts his decisions.

Partners: Yaya Toure (left) and Fernandinho (right) have formed a powerful duo in the heart of Manchester City's midfield

In control: Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey (right) has proved himself as one of the best all-round midfielders in England's top tier

FORWARDS
Sergio Aguero (Man City)
He’s so powerful and goes past players effortlessly, so I’d have him behind the front man. Carlos Tevez left but Aguero has stepped in and taken on those same battling qualities to add to his lethal finishing.

Red hot: Sergio Aguero, pictured here celebrating his goal in Manchester City's 6-3 win against Arsenal, has enjoyed some of his best form under Manuel Pellegrini

Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
He is a real match-winner. He caresses the ball, attacks with real pace and can decide when he wants to go past people. If Mourinho manages him well, he could have the keys to the title.

Danger man: Eden Hazard celebrates his winning goal against Swansea on Boxing Day, his seventh Premier League strike of the season

STRIKER
Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Suarez would be in a World XI at the minute, never mind a PL XI. He’s scoring goals of the highest order and playing with a smile on his face. You just have to stand back and admire his quality.

Man of the moment: Luis Suarez (middle), pictured here scoring his second goal in Liverpool's 5-0 against Tottenham earlier this season, has been arguably the Premier League's best player

MANAGER
Roberto Martinez (Everton)
He has got his message across and really taken Everton to the next level. They’re flying and could even challenge for the title.

On a roll: Everton manager Roberto Martinez has settled into life at the Merseyside club seamlessly since taking over in the summer

If I knew Liverpool would be in the title race I wouldn't have retired.

The first time I met Brendan Rodgers, he had just become Liverpool manager. We were speaking about the future and he mentioned the possibility of me joining his coaching staff.
But I told him straight away I would be retiring at the end of the season, so our working relationship would only last 12 months.
I made my announcement public in February but a few weeks later, at Melwood, Brendan invited me for another conversation.

I'm done: Jamie Carragher told Brendan Rodgers that he was retiring at the end of the season

He asked me whether I would consider postponing retiring for another season. Again, my answer was ‘no’. I was set in my ways,  content with the decision I had reached. Only one thing could have changed my mind.

It wasn’t the prospect of more appearances; it had nothing to do with another contract or anything like that. If I felt Liverpool were going to compete for the one  honour that had eluded me — the Barclays Premier League — I would have said ‘yes’ in a flash.
At that time, I could only see  Liverpool challenging for a top-four place. If I had been able to see  into the future, I would now be  preparing for tomorrow’s showdown with Chelsea.

Incredible: Luis Suarez has helped Liverpool join the title race, something Carragher couldn't predict

Make no mistake, Liverpool are title contenders. They might be outsiders in the group that  contains Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, but there should not be any doubts about my old club’s potential to go the distance.
Once Chelsea are out of the way, Liverpool will have played all of the top eight, bar Manchester United, away from home. December has been a demanding month, with trips to White Hart Lane, the Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge but they are in excellent shape.
Even if they fail to beat Chelsea, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

Up next: Eden Hazard and Chelsea are Liverpool's tricky opponents on Sunday night

Had you asked any Liverpudlian what they would have taken from that sequence, four points from nine would have been acceptable.
If they happen to end up with six, expectations will be soaring into the New Year.
Liverpool look like a proper team once more. No other club has matched their tally of 83 Premier League goals in 2013 — Manchester City are closest with 81 — while a return of 69 points from 36 games in the calendar year shows they are finding consistency.
It also shines a light on the job Brendan is doing. Compare those figures to 2012, the year Kenny Dalglish’s reign ended and Brendan took over. In 39 games through the year, Liverpool only picked up 46 points and scored 54 goals.

Huge improvement: Liverpool have stepped up a gear after the season in which Rodgers replaced King Kenny

 

 

Goodbye Mackay!

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is Vincent Tan’s top target to become the next manager of Cardiff City after Malky Mackay’s sacking on Friday.
As revealed by Mail Online, Tan has identified the former Manchester United striker as the kind of young and dynamic manager he needs to keep Cardiff in the Barclays Premier League.
Solskjaer has impressed in his first spell in management, winning two league titles and the Norwegian Cup in his homeland with Molde.

Option: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is interestied in managing in the Premier League and could be next at Cardiff

Centre of attention: Malky Mackay has been sacked by Cardiff after days of speculation

Controversial: Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has courted controversy for his attitude towards Mackay, who is now favourite for the Baggies position

VINCENT TAN'S STATEMENT

'There has been a good deal of publicity generated by and about Mr Malky Mackay over the last few months. Indeed far too much dirty linen has been exposed to the public gaze.
'But, I stress, not by me. Indeed, I have deliberately not responded to this, hoping that the Club can be judged on its football rather than personalised arguments about who said what to whom.
'I have, however, regretfully concluded that it is no longer fair to the Club, its players, its fans, or the public more generally, for this uncomfortable state of affairs to continue. Cardiff City Football Club means far too much to us all for it to be distracted by this.'

However, the 40-year-old is understood to have some reservations about the post, which Cardiff’s chairman Mehmet Dalman will attempt to overcome with the promise of a hefty January transfer budget.
A source close to Tan told Sportsmail: ‘Solskjaer is the first choice for the job and there will be a lot of money to spend in January — enough to make sure Cardiff stay up. The owner wants a young, hungry and dynamic manager to come in.’
That is a far cry from one of the messages that pre-empted Mackay’s exit. In an extraordinary statement released 12 days ago, Tan, via the club’s chief executive Simon Lim, told Mackay he would not get a ‘single penny’ to spend in January.
It was Lim, with whom Mackay has had a difficult relationship, who broke the news to the Scot in Cardiff that he had been sacked.

Not a fan of Tan: This Cardiff supporter turned up at the stadium after Mackay was axed

Mackay: No meeting scheduled with Vincent Tan

TIMELINE OF A CRISIS

April 16: Cardiff City are promoted to the Barclays Premier League. Vincent Tan initially promises a cash injection of £25million for new players but that sum is later increased to £35m.
October 8: Mackay's head of recruitment, Iain Moody, who worked with him at Watford, is placed on gardening leave and then sacked. He is replaced by 23-year-old Alisher Apsalyamov, who attended the same Swiss school as one of Tan’s sons. Overspending in the summer is later given as the reason.
October 31: Kazakhstani Apsalyamov, who earlier in the summer had been painting parts of the stadium, stands down from his position as he did not have the correct visa.
December 16: Tan, via Cardiff CEO Simon Lim, releases a statement slamming Mackay for saying after a win over West Brom that, in an ideal world, he would three new signings in January. Lim says Tan is upset and that Mackay will not get a ‘single penny’ to spend. Lim says Cardiff overspent by £15m in the summer.
December 16: Tan sends Mackay a long email criticising his signings, results and the team’s performances. It is understood this email made 27 points, culminating in an ultimatum: resign or be sacked. Mackay replied: ‘No, thank you.’
December 21: Mackay reiterates after losing to Liverpool that he will not resign from his job. He later revealed he expected to be sacked that weekend.
December 22: Chairman Mehmet Dalman, seen as a peace-broker in the saga, issues a club statement that says Mackay will stay as manager for the ‘foreseeable future’ after postponing a holiday to hold an emergency meeting with Tan in London.
December 27: Mackay is sacked.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI

Tan, meanwhile, was in London, where he met Dalman for a final discussion before confirming his intention to axe the 41-year-old.
Mackay’s assistant, David Kerslake, and first-team coach Joe McBride will take temporary charge for Saturday’s clash against Sunderland.
The club are understood to be keen to make an appointment quickly, with fixtures against Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Manchester United in the next month. Solskjaer is out of contract in the summer.
Controversial former owner Sam Hammam, who is now Cardiff’s life president and  a confidante of Tan’s, gave his backing to Solskjaer but ruled out a move for former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson.
He said: ‘It is not like Vincent Tan woke up one day and said, “What shall I do? I will sack Malky”. This has been going on for months, after we had bought all those players. We could tell it wasn’t working between those two.
‘If you look at why they reached the Premier League it is two things — Malky’s ability and also, far more importantly, Vincent Tan’s money. But all the accolades went to Malky.
‘I hope the new manager, it is not someone like Eriksson. We need hungry people, people who put their foot on the brake when spending money.’
Referring to Solskjaer, Hammam added: ‘From my point of view he is in line with the profile Cardiff want. I have known him since he was a young kid and I tried to buy him when I was owner of Wimbledon.
‘He had a good grounding at Manchester United and now he is manager at Molde, he will have a good grounding.’
Sources close to Turkish veteran Yilmaz Vural, who has managed 22 clubs in Turkey, have claimed Cardiff have been in regular contact this week, while Blackpool manager Paul Ince is understood to have an outside chance.
Earlier on Friday, Vural's agent had mischievously tweeted that 'explosive' events lay ahead at Cardiff.
Muzzi Ozcan tweeted: 'The story is coming to a End in Wales and a new story will be born ... The next 48 hours will be explosive!'

Up next? Sven Goran Eriksson has been linked to the Cardiff manager's job

Interesting fellow: Yilmaz Vural is a journeyman who has taken charge of several sides in Turkey

Waving goodbye: Mackay has been ditched despite fan support

Meanwhile, the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust were left frustrated when owner Tan called off a planned meeting.
Chairman Tim Hartley said: 'We are very disappointed that this meeting has been postponed at a time of great instability at the club. We’ve been told that Mr Tan will meet the Trust when the new manager is appointed and we now look forward to that meeting.
'Given the recent off the field debacle, we believe it is more important than ever that Mr Tan engages with supporter groups and the fans generally. This meeting provided Mr Tan with an immediate opportunity to start building bridges with fans and that opportunity has been missed.
'There are many questions the fans still want answered, around corporate governance and transparency, the club’s financial future and the rebranding. We will put these to Mr Tan at our rearranged meeting which needs to be held as soon as possible.'
The move to sack Mackay is the culmination of a saga that appeared to start in October, when Iain Moody was sacked as head of recruitment and replaced by Alisher Apsalyamov, a 23-year-old friend of the owner's son.
Apsalyamov had been painting the stadium in the summer and has since stood down, as the Kazakhstani did not have the correct visa.

Anger: The fans are unhappy with Tan's treatment of manager Mackay and the decision to change the colour of the strip from blue to red

Tensions have escalated and reached a boiling point, when Tan sent Mackay an email listing reasons why he had not performed well in his role.
They included criticisms of his signings, not least the price paid for certain players, as well as results and tactics. It ended with an ultimatum: resign or be sacked.
Mackay replied succinctly: 'No, thank you.'
Much of the way the issue has been handled has drawn criticism from supporters, with 'Tan Out' shouted at matches.
His decision in 2012 to switch the club's colours to red from blue also caused significant aggravation and several hundred fans protested against him before the Boxing Day home defeat by Southampton.

Protests: Cardiff fans held a large protest on Boxing Day, and at Liverpool last week

Support: Mackay was backed to the hilt by the Cardiff fans but find himself out of work

Thumbs up: Mackay (right) and Tan in happier times and (below) with the Championship trophy

Questions can be fairly asked of his tactics. More often than not, he has played a defensive five-man midfield and relied on set-pieces and counter-attacks.
They were positive in beating Clarke’s West Brom and initially against Southampton, where he fielded two up front, but those are among the exceptions.
There have been negative tactics and some of the signings have not justified their outlay. Andreas Cornelius cost roughly £8m and is one acquisition, in particular, that Tan is understood to have questioned.
He has struggled with injuries and Thursday’s appearance off the bench was only his sixth in the league, none of which have been starts.
Then there’s John Brayford. He cost £1.5m and hasn’t had a game outside of the League Cup. Of course, Steve Caulker has been excellent for £9m, as has Gary Medel for £11m, even though the latter is understood to have been touted around Europe for a lesser price earlier in the summer.

Liverpool are on holidays! Chelsea boss Mourinho backs 'best friend' Rodgers' title chance... because they aren't in Europe.

Jose Mourinho claims Liverpool are serious title contenders this season because their gentle fixture schedule, with no European competition, is like being ‘on holidays’.
Mourinho believes fewer games and extra preparation time gives Brendan Rodgers an edge in a congested race at the top of the Barclays Premier League. ‘Liverpool are on holidays for one season,’ said the Chelsea boss ahead of tomorrow’s clash between the teams at Stamford Bridge.
‘One week to prepare a match, play the match and one more week to prepare the next match. It is an unbelievable advantage.’

Advantage: Jose Mourinho claimed Liverpool have been 'on holidays' with no European competition

Best foot forward: Luis Suarez has been in sensational form for Liverpool, but has had time to rest

SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE

In his first spell as Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho was unbeaten at home against Liverpool, winning four and drawing two of his six matches between the sides at Stamford Bridge.
But since he left, Liverpool have enjoyed a much better run of results. Can they add to that?
Liverpool at Stamford Bridge
When Jose was there (2004-07)
P 6    W 0    D 2    L 4    GF 0    GA 5
When Jose wasn’t there (2007-13)
P 10   W 4    D 3    L 3    GF 13    GA 13

Asked if he thought they could win their first title since 1990, Mourinho said: ‘I think they can. Because they are good, because Brendan is good.
'Because they have time to prepare the team tactically, because they are not involved in the heat of the knock-out situation in the Champions League or even the Europa League. These players are going to play 60 matches at Chelsea. Liverpool will play 40 matches. It’s a big difference.
‘Quality, plus ambition, plus this advantage, so yes.’
During his first spell at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho established a fierce rivalry with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. It was forged on a series of controversial cup ties in Europe and domestic competitions, including the 2005 Carling Cup final, when Mourinho won his first trophy in England.

Reunited: Mourinho said Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is one of his best friends in football

Failing charges: Mourinho bemoaned his strikers after Samuel Eto'o's performance against Swansea

Those feelings remained strong last year with many Chelsea fans protesting and refusing to accept Benitez when he was appointed as interim manager.
This time, however, Mourinho expects his own friendship with Rodgers, once on his coaching team at Stamford Bridge, to diffuse such emotion when the teams meet tomorrow.
‘The manager is one of my best friends in the game,’ said the Chelsea boss. ‘So no rivalry.
‘Brendan is doing fantastically but he is training every week in a calm way, every day, maybe twice a day, which is a big, big advantage. He needs to work well but he has a big advantage in the way you build your team.

Frosty: Chelsea v Liverpool encounters were heated with Mourinho (right) and Rafael Benitez in charge

‘You know how much tactical work I have done since pre-season? Not much. It is easy for a team who do that every week. ‘Not to be involved in European competition gives them a big advantage.’
Liverpool finished seventh last season, missing out on the Europa League after finishing 28 points adrift of champions Manchester United.
But they started this season well and topped the Premier League at Christmas, before losing 2-1 at Manchester City on Boxing Day and slipping to fourth. Chelsea are a point and a place ahead, but City are moving menacingly towards the summit.

Tipped: Mourinho has Manchester City, with Alvaro Negredo, as 'big, big favourites' for the title

Wing wizard: Eden Hazard netted against Swansea to keep Chelsea in touching distance at the top

‘Everybody’s there,’ said Mourinho. ‘It’s Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and City in the top four and a match between two of them is worth a lot of points.
‘I think Man City are the big, big, big favourites. And Manchester United, despite being a few points behind, have the reality of the last few years.’
Liverpool’s resurgence has been fuelled by Luis Suarez, who has scored 19 Premier League goals in 14 appearances. ‘Fantastic numbers, fantastic numbers,’ said Mourinho, and he confessed his own team’s title hopes would be transformed with the addition of striker in such form.
‘That’s what it is, that’s what it is,’ he nodded, painfully aware that Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba have only five between them this season.

 

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