• Israeli player subjected to ‘offensive’ chants throughout friendly
• Premier League club lodge official complaint with Malaysian FA

Chelsea have lodged a formal complaint with the Malaysian Football Association alleging that the club’s Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun was the subject of antisemitic abuse during last week’s friendly in Kuala Lumpur.

Large sections of the 84,980 crowd at the Bukit Jalil national stadium booed and jeered Benayoun’s every touch in Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over a Malaysian XI. The 30-year-old, one of the first Israelis to play in the country, did not complain at the time and was substituted at the interval along with all the starting XI. Malaysia, which is 60% Muslim and strongly supports the Palestinian people, does not recognise Israel and maintains no diplomatic ties with the state.

Chelsea had initially been uncertain whether the abuse was antisemitic, with Benayoun having committed a foul early in the game which might have provoked some level of reaction among the crowd. They had therefore not pursued the matter immediately after the game. The Israeli’s team-mate José Bosingwa, a Portugal international, was also jeered following a bad tackle later in the first half.

But, having since conducted inquiries into the nature of the chants, Chelsea have determined that the abuse was antisemitic and have written in complaint to the Malaysian FA. “Notwithstanding most fans behaving appropriately on the night, we believe Yossi was subjected to antisemitic abuse by a number of supporters at the game,” a spokesman said. “Such behaviour is offensive, totally unacceptable and has no place in football.

“The club did not make representations at the time as it was initially unclear as to the nature of the abuse Yossi received, as several players from both teams experienced similar treatment, sometimes louder and longer. However, having taken time to consider the issue fully, it has become apparent that a formal complaint was necessary.

“Our stay in Malaysia was on the whole a very positive experience for all the team on the tour. It is a shame, therefore, that the behaviour of a minority of supporters is also a memory we take away.”

The former Malaysian FA official Peter Velappan, who was once a general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, was quoted last week admitting the abuse was regrettable, if hard to prevent. “It is of course unsporting,” he said. “This is quite rampant in many of the European countries … [but] especially in [multiracial] Malaysia we are supposed to set an example.”

ChelseaDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk

• Midfielder ruled out by injury for the next six months
• Tear only spotted by Israel squad’s team doctor

Yossi Benayoun has admitted his surprise and dismay that Chelsea’s medical staff “missed” detecting the seriousness of an achilles injury after the Israel international was tonight ruled out for up to six months. The 30-year-old midfielder, a £5.5m signing from Liverpool in the summer, will travel to Finland on Sunday to have surgery the next day at the clinic of Dr Sakari Orava – the surgeon who operated on David Beckham in February – after Chelsea confirmed the findings of the Israeli national team doctor, Dr Mark Rosnovsky, and finally pinpointed a serious tear to an achilles.

Benayoun had been dogged by a tendon problem since the beginning of the season, with his club under the impression that it was treatable with careful management, only for scans at Tel Aviv’s Assuta hospital to reveal a more disturbing reality. “The truth is that this entire situation is very strange,” Benayoun said. “I had three MRIs and three ultrasounds and they all said that there was no problem, and it was just a small tear.

“I came to Israel ready to play and they told me it was a big tear. Chelsea were sure it was something small. They have compared all the images and they do not understand how they missed it. They said it is unusual to have such a big tear and not be in terrible pain. Even now I am not in pain but I cannot take one step by myself until I undergo surgery.”

Benayoun has not played since apparently tearing a calf muscle in the Carling Cup defeat to Newcastle last month, though he was permitted to travel to Israel – via a visit to Marijana Kovacevic, whose treatments include the use of fluids from a cow’s placenta, in Belgrade – to join up with the national squad. He had travelled still hoping to take part in his country’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Croatia and Greece. But he must now hope just to return to the first-team before the end of the current campaign. “I hope Chelsea have a successful season so I can come back and help win trophies in the final weeks,” he added.

Carlo Ancelotti will hope Frank Lampard’s expected return from a groin complaint will off-set the long-term loss of the Israeli, though the Italian has serious concerns over the make-up of his defence in Saturday’s awkward Premier League game at Aston Villa. Alex, like Salomon Kalou, is continuing his recovery from a thigh problem and is not due back to full training until next week, when the first team are in Russia for the Champions League tie against Spartak Moscow.

John Terry, meanwhile, is still a doubt for the game at Villa Park after landing on his coccyx in training with England, a fall that ruled him out of yesterday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro and has, as yet, prevented him returning to full training with his club side. The young Dutch defender Jeffrey Bruma, who has been suffering from a tight hamstring which led to his being omitted from the Holland under-21s squad in midweek, is due to join the rest of the first-team squad today and could be asked to partner Branislav Ivanovic at centre-half at Villa Park.

ChelseaDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk