The club and country battle rolls on as Costa misses the three games since his return from international duty.
The back-and-forth between Chelsea and Spain over Diego Costa’s injury has taken a strange turn, with the Spanish team’s doctor denying the existence of the injury that has kept the striker out for three games.
Costa was known to have an ongoing hamstring problem, which troubled him at the end of last season and the 26-year-old has been carefully managed by Jose Mourinho this term.
Mourinho was unhappy that the forward started both Spain games earlier this month, despite the pressure he put on head coach Vicente del Bosque to leave him out of the squad.
Del Bosque refused to be drawn into anything, but the Spanish team doctor Jose Garcia Cota has blown the debate open again with his recent quotes.
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“He didn’t said anything about the hamstring. When Costa arrived to the International team he said to us that he had a minor hassle in the groin but nothing important… I didn’t even say it was an injury or a problem,” Garcia Cota told the IBTimes UK.
“It was a very minor hassle that is very common in every professional footballer.
“He didn’t even asked for a treatment and he didn’t required a scan or anything similar.”
It would be reasonable for Jose Mourinho to say that Costa has an injury to prevent him being forced to play for the national team, but why would he pretend he had an injury now he’s back at Stamford Bridge?
The story is further complicated by the fact that Costa was also suffering from a virus this week.
The mystery continues, but with the Blues missing yet more chances against Manchester United, it’s clear they need their star striker back as soon as possible.