Branislav Ivanovic has not accepted the apology from Luis Suárez over the biting incident and it has also emerged that the Metropolitan police asked to examine the Chelsea defender’s arm as part of an inquiry into the controversy.

Suárez, the Liverpool striker, who grabbed his opponent before biting his arm during the 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday, tweeted that he had spoken to Ivanovic on the phone to apologise. “Thanks for accepting,” the Uruguayan also wrote.

But it is understood that while Ivanovic appreciated the call, which was cordial, he stopped short of accepting the apology. Ivanovic’s team-mate Petr Cech said that the Serb was “not happy at all” and there remains an element of shock at Chelsea, even if they are determined not to become entangled in the fallout from the affair.

Cech was frustrated by what he felt was Suárez’s niggling approach and pushing of the boundaries. “I was not happy because he is always pushing people around to make space for himself,” the goalkeeper said. “This is what I was complaining to the referee about because he does it all the time, little fouls and pushes.”

Yet Chelsea seemed angrier about Suárez’s 97th-minute equaliser and not only because he ought not to have been on the pitch to score it. They accept that officials cannot see every incident clearly but the amount of injury time that was added vexed the interim manager Rafael Benítez and his players. The fourth official had signalled for a minimum of six minutes, with Suárez’s goal happening at six minutes and 34 seconds.

“The referee is on the pitch to decide how much extra time there is … it’s unusual to have six minutes,” Cech said. “I have to say that I have been a Chelsea player since 2004 and I have never had six minutes in my favour when I was losing. Obviously, you look at this and say: ‘Why does this happen when I play away?’ This is the referee’s choice, it’s his job to look for the extra time. We conceded in the last second and from our point, we have to do better next time.”

Ivanovic was checked over for injuries by Chelsea after the game – there were none – and the Met police officer who visited the club’s training ground also looked for bite marks or bruises. He too saw nothing. The officer, acting with the police on Merseyside, asked Ivanovic whether he wanted to press charges. He did not.

– UK Guardian