According to a story today in The Guardian, Striker Diego Costa could start Chelsea’s final Champions League group game against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday to improve his match fitness. The balancing act between service to club and country for Diego Costa has been one of the top story lines for Chelsea FC all season long.
How The Special One finds the perfect balance between protecting Costa and letting him loose has been a narrative that Chelsea supporters have paid extra attention to throughout 2014-15.
At his pre-match press conference on November 20th, ahead of the game versus West Brom, Chelsea Manager Jose Mourinho was asked whether he would rest the club’s top goalscorer Diego Costa during the Christmas period”
The Special One answered: “The Christmas period is new for him. He has worked with a club physio even during the international break.
“He is on four bookings but will I protect him? No.”
This year has certainly been an adjustment for the star forward who has the led the Premier League in scoring much of the season. There was even concern that Diego Costa was being “over-managed” heading into the huge tilt with Arsenal earlier in the season.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2