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Jose Mourinho says Diego Costa who has been troubled with hamstring problems throughout the season might not feature in any more matches unless Chelsea are struggling to claim the title.
Chelsea are currently 13 points clear of their closest competition and have the chance to claim the Premier League title after five years if they are to beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Costa has been plagued with hamstring problems since his Atletico Madrid days, and the injury resurfaced in the match against Hull City in March and again against Stoke when he was taken off after just 12 minutes. When asked if he would return to play again the season, Mourinho claimed he was ‘out’.
“It’s not been a setback, but it just isn’t worth the risk,” said Mourinho. “In this process, in the last month, if we lose a game and we don’t want to lose a second match, he will be back immediately.”
“But, because the results in the last month were always victories and a draw against the team in second [Arsenal], we don’t need to rush him. We are trying to give him maximum stability for him to be stronger and stronger. No need for any risk.”
Mourinho who has Loic Remy as a replacement for the Brazilian-born striker had the following to say when asked if Costa would be seen again this season.
“There is a chance he might not,” said the Portuguese. “If we win on Sunday, I would say he doesn’t play next week against Liverpool. If we don’t win on Sunday and we need points against Liverpool, I’d say he would play against them.”
“It’s about judging it result after result. If we don’t need him, probably he doesn’t play. It’ll be a good period of work, rather than a long break. We are preparing a good working situation for him during the holiday period where he can obviously mix the holiday with work without fear,” he added.
Costa is currently undergoing rehabilitation to strengthen his hamstring to ensure the problem doesn’t recur.
