• Premier League

Chelsea will pay for Costa's Spain call-up, says Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has confirmed Diego Costa will start for Chelsea against Arsenal on Sunday even though that means the injury-affected striker will play three games in eight days.

Mourinho said last week that Costa will only get over his persistent hamstring issue if he is rested for two weeks, specifically citing his preference that Spain rest the forward for next week's international fixtures.

Despite that public statement, Spanish manager Vicente Del Bosque has selected Costa for the matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg and claimed the striker's appearances for Chelsea as justification.

Mourinho said: "It's not a surprise. If he can play three matches in a week? I think it's too much, but he's going to do that. Why? Because I'm not going to save him to be in perfect conditions for the national team.

"If he has a problem playing against Arsenal, he has a problem for Chelsea. This was a big week for us, three crucial matches, and I had to go with everybody in Lisbon. Against Arsenal, also an important match and the last one of this busy period, he plays."

Asked if going away for two weeks with Spain will affect Costa, Mourinho said: "I really don't know. He can play against Arsenal. He had this match in Lisbon and four days in between. He will be in okay conditions to play against Arsenal. What happens after that is not my responsibility.

"Probably I will pay the consequences after the international period but I think about Arsenal. After that I take two days off for myself and then wait for them to come back."

Otherwise, Mourinho said Costa is "doing well", but that Ramires and Didier Drogba are both out of Sunday's fixture.

The club v country issues between Chelsea and Spain were muddied this week when Brazil-born Costa declared himself fit to join up with the squad after completing the 90 minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 Champions League group win at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.

Del Bosque told a news conference on Friday in Madrid that there was no reason to suggest Costa - who has yet to score in five caps for his adopted country - should omitted.

"If we are bringing Diego Costa it is because he is fit," the veteran coach said. "We never force anybody to play. They always have the all-clear from the doctors. He is playing all the games [with Chelsea]."

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