• Premier League

Mourinho set to risk fragile Costa

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho intends to risk Diego Costa's fragile hamstrings by starting the striker against Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal this week.

Mourinho anticipates Spain will call upon Costa for their matches with Slovakia and Luxembourg next month, despite his belief that complete rest is needed to enable the forward to recover fully from his niggling problem.

Costa has scored eight goals in six Premier League games but was only a substitute in Chelsea's opening 1-1 draw at home to Schalke in the Champions League - a result which indicated the reliance of the club on their new star striker.

"Diego starts,'' Mourinho said. "There is a risk, yes, but he plays. We assume the risk and he plays.

Hopefully everything goes well and hopefully from Tuesday till Sunday he has enough period of time to be back again on track and to play against Arsenal [in the Premier League].

"It's an important game for us tomorrow, a difficult game and if I can play my best players and the team I think is the best team to try to get the best result, I'm not going to make any change. I don't rest people. I make decisions. I don't think about Arsenal - I think about Sporting and I'm going to start with the team that I think is the best team.''

Mourinho does not expect Spain to respect his wish not to call up Costa for national service, even though he says the player is barely able to train.

"I have the feeling that next week he goes to the national team," Mourinho said. "I have the feeling that in the national team they will not consider the fact that he is in trouble so tomorrow he plays and hopefully he plays Sunday again against Arsenal. But in this moment I don't think about Arsenal - I think about Sporting. And Diego starts tomorrow.''

Loic Remy is the only like-for-like replacement for Costa in Chelsea's 20-man squad after Didier Drogba aggravated an ankle problem in training.

"Drogba's going to be out for a couple of weeks,'' Mourinho added. "He had a problem in a training session in the ankle. Not possible to travel [to Lisbon] and I think not possible to recover for Sunday.''

Ramires was the only other senior player not among the 20-man squad, with the midfielder likely to miss out on Sunday's Premier League clash with Arsenal due to a groin injury.

The versatile Nathan Ake travelled as part of the group, as did goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney, with Mark Schwarzer ineligible in Champions League competition.

Costa has scored eight goals in six Premier League appearances for Chelsea © Getty Images

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