Jose Mourinho bemused by Diego Costa speculation but won’t promise he’ll start Jose Mourinho sees no reason why Diego Costa’s future is subject to speculation, but declined to say if the striker will start in Saturday’s Barclays Premier League game against Bournemouth.
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“Courtois is selected”, Mourinho said at his pre-match press conference.
‘He was our goalkeeper all last season and we know how fundamental he was for us so it’s very important we have him back.
He will bring him back when he thinks the player is ready but Costa, who has only scored three goals this season, needs to raise his game.
“I know that journalists like it when it’s not going well – they are looking for problems – but I never heard there was a problem between Mourinho and Eden”.
The ESPN FC crew don’t think Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho can afford to lose Diego Costa with their upcoming fixture list.
It was a very different Mourinho to the man under so much pressure a month ago that, when asked a similarly light-hearted question, tersely responded: “You don’t get any more from me amusing headlines”. “I don’t need a reaction from him, I just need him to be what he is and to always try hard”.
I snubbed Mourinho to work with Guardiola, says Douglas Costa “That was unusual, yes”.
On the return of Courtois, who missed three months after undergoing surgery on his knee, Mourinho added: “Courtois is Courtois”.
“I think the paparazzi had a problem with the memory card”.
“But, in the end, rules are rules and he’s the same (as the other players)”. The Chelsea manager gave his players permission to hold a Christmas party on Wednesday night, when they went for dinner in London and were photographed leaving the Libertine nightclub at 3am.
The forward shone in the Premier League last season-bagging 20 goals in 26 league games as the Blues lifted the title-but has struggled to impress so far this term.
“If we can get a good result tomorrow it will be four in a row unbeaten and we haven’t had that for a long time”. Realising the extent of the tension within the squad around the end of October, the Portuguese purposely sought meetings with some senior players to calmly hear them out and talk things through.
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“He’s the same. Tonight we meet to go to the hotel at 7.30pm”. Chelsea will have some absences in the side as Mourinho confirmed, “I was hoping everybody would be fit but it’s not possible…John [Terry], Ramires and Falcao are out”.
