Doubts remain over Chelsea star’s fitness

Diego Costa will start against Aston Villa on Saturday but Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is unsure whether the striker will be available for the Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon.

Costa has made a brilliant start to his Blues career, scoring seven goals in his first five Premier League appearances.

But he has been nursing a hamstring complaint and Mourinho recently admitted that Costa was unable to start more than two matches in a week.

The Spain international, 25, will be selected for this weekend’s game but could therefore be replaced in Portugal on Tuesday.

“He plays tomorrow and he starts the game without any problem,” said Mourinho.

“The question is always the same: can he finish the game and be in condition to play in Lisbon 48 hours later?

“At this moment I don’t know, because at this moment I don’t think of Sporting and the Champions League, I think of Aston Villa and the Premier League and he is in good condition to start.

“If he doesn’t play against Sporting, he doesn’t play – play Didier Drogba or Loic Remy. The game is tomorrow and Tuesday is another story.

“Tomorrow I will play the best team to play against Aston Villa and after that the consequences I have to face.

“He has been working hard in his recovery and his condition. He is trying to be ready for every game because mentally he is ready for every game but physically he is not.”

Mourinho also indicated that he did not want Costa to join the Spain squad during the approaching international week, but said he was powerless to intervene if the player is called up.

“I am nobody to make that decision,” he said.

“Everybody knows what is going on with Diego. Everybody knows Diego is in trouble for quite a long time, but it’s their deciison and they can do what they want.

“It is completely out of my control. What I think, what I feel, doesn’t play a part.”

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