Chelsea appeal Thibaut Courtois red card ahead of Manchester City trip

Chelsea are set to appeal against the red card Thibaut Courtois received in the 2-2 draw with Swansea City in an desperate attempt to have Jose Mourinho's number one available for the Premier League game against Manchester City on 16 August.

The Belgium international was dismissed in the second half after he brought down Bafetimbi Gomis in the area, with the Swansea striker scoring the equaliser from the penalty spot to earn his side a point.

Mourinho admitted after the game that the referee's decision "changed everything" but refused to discuss whether it was correct.

"First game of the season, I don't want to start on the first game. It is just because this is the first time I can control myself. I want to react this way today, because I don't want you to say it was from day one," he said in the press conference.

"With the penalty, red card, one player less, 2-2 obviously it changes everything. If you have one player less but you are happy with the result, you have a certain approach and normally you can hide the fact you have one player less."

But the club have decided to appeal the red card to overturn the expected one-match ban in an attempt to have the goalkeeper available for the crucial visit to last season runners-up, who started their Premier League campaign on 10 August with an impressive 3-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion. The appeal will be heard by the Football Association on 11 August, according to the BBC.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, Mourinho is expected to hand Asmir Begovic the number one role against Manuel Pellegrini's side after the former Stoke City 'keeper replaced Courtois in the Swansea game.