Soccer

Mourinho to persevere with Costa despite striker’s latent injury problem

Chelsea boss helpless to prevent his player’s call-ub by Spain for European Championship duty

David Silva and Eliaquim Mangala of Manchester City battle with Chelsea’s Diego Costa during last weekend’s Premier League match. Costa will start against Aston Villa while Nasri has been ruled out for a month due to a groin injury. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
David Silva and Eliaquim Mangala of Manchester City battle with Chelsea’s Diego Costa during last weekend’s Premier League match. Costa will start against Aston Villa while Nasri has been ruled out for a month due to a groin injury. Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Dominic Fifield
Sat Sept 27 2014 - 01:00

Diego Costa will start for Chelsea against Aston Villa today with Jose Mourinho admitting the London club are helpless to prevent their leading goalscorer from being called up by Spain for next month's Euro 2016 qualifiers despite his recent hamstring problems.

Costa, a €41 million signing from Atlético Madrid this summer, is unable to play twice in four days at present after suffering discomfort in his left hamstring.

Unless the forward suffers a relapse against Villa, Sporting Lisbon or Arsenal in the games ahead, they are braced for Costa to be called up for Spain’s games in Slovakia and Luxembourg on October 9th and 12th.

“I’m nobody to make that decision,” said Mourinho when asked if he would hope to persuade Spain against calling up the Brazil-born forward.

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“Everything is clear. Everybody knows what is going on with Diego. Everyone knows he’s been in trouble for quite a long time. But the moment a national team wants to select a Chelsea player, I’m nobody. . . . It’s completely out of my control.”

Costa was rested for Wednesday’s League Cup win over Bolton Wanderers, as he had been in the Champions League against Schalke a week earlier.

But having scored seven goals in five Premier League appearances, he will start against third-placed Villa at Stamford Bridge despite Chelsea travelling to Lisbon on Monday for their European tie against Sporting the following day.

“He plays tomorrow and starts the game without problems,” said Mourinho, who will be without Ramires until after the international break after the midfielder suffered a groin injury. “The question is always the same: can he finish the game and be in condition to play in Lisbon 48 hours later? That I don’t know.

“Everyone is working hard to help Diego . . . but, at this moment, because I don’t think about Sporting or the Champions League, I think about Villa in the Premier League and he plays for sure. He’s in a good position to start.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City have suffered a blow after Samir Nasri was ruled out for a month because of a serious groin injury that requires surgery. The French man will miss at least seven matches, including Champions League games against Roma and CSKA Moscow and league games against Aston Villa and Tottenham .

Pellegrini takes City to the KC Stadium having yet to win a league match in September, with the 3-1 defeat of Liverpool on August the champions’ previous victory. Of Jovetic, who has a hamstring problem, and Fernando, who has hurt his pelvis, the manager said: “Jovetic and Fernando are out. They will be ready next week.” Guardian Service