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Chelsea’s Diego Costa says he won’t play for Spain unless he is fully fit | Chelsea’s Diego Costa says he won’t play for Spain unless he is fully fit |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Diego Costa has reassured Chelsea he will not play in Spain’s upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg if he is not fully fit. | Diego Costa has reassured Chelsea he will not play in Spain’s upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg if he is not fully fit. |
Although he has been in prolific goalscoring form for the Blues since his summer move from Atlético Madrid, Costa has been struggling with a hamstring problem since last season and José Mourinho revealed recently the 25-year-old was barely training. The Chelsea manager would also have preferred to see his player rest during the international break in order to receive treatment. | |
Costa, nevertheless, was called up by Vicente del Bosque for Spain’s upcoming qualifying double-header and the Brazil-born forward insists he is ready to contribute. | |
“I’m here ready to play,” he said to Spanish sports newspaper Marca after linking up with his international colleagues on Monday. | “I’m here ready to play,” he said to Spanish sports newspaper Marca after linking up with his international colleagues on Monday. |
“I’ve had some problems but it’s getting better. I’ve already played three games in a week and the coach knows that I carry some problems but I will treat them during the week.” | |
However, Costa also says he will not take any risks with his fitness. He added: “I don’t want to be in the middle. Mourinho has not told me anything. One has to take into account that many times I am the one that makes the decision depending on how I feel. | |
“Here I have the confidence of the coach, the technical team, and if there is a problem I tell them. If I’m here and I’m injured then I don’t play because it would be worse.” | |
Costa, who made his Spain debut in March in a 1-0 friendly win over Italy, has yet to score for his adopted country after five matches but he is hoping to finally make an impact with the two-time defending European champions. | Costa, who made his Spain debut in March in a 1-0 friendly win over Italy, has yet to score for his adopted country after five matches but he is hoping to finally make an impact with the two-time defending European champions. |
He said: “What I want more than anything is to succeed here. Up to now things haven’t gone as I had thought they would or as people expected. This is why I really want to do a good job with Spain. I haven’t scored but if you look at the games I’ve played, I haven’t really had many opportunities to do so. I need to work hard in order to score my first goal, something which would make me very happy.” | |
Costa moved to Chelsea from Atlético in a £32m transfer deal this summer and he has not disappointed. He scored his ninth league goal in Sunday’s 2-0 triumph over Arsenal that lifted Chelsea five points clear at the top of the Premier League standings. | |
“Things are going very well, but not just for me but for Chelsea,” Costa said. “I’m delighted. Against Arsenal it was complicated but we managed to win.” | |
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