Jose Mourinho has confirmed Diego Costa will start against Liverpool, as
he thanked the Spanish federation for leaving the striker out of their
next squad but insisted he did not ask for it.
Costa's fitness has provoked more discussion than any other issue at Chelsea this season, with Mourinho effectively making public pleas to Spain coach Vicente del Bosque that he allow the striker some rest but stating that he could not directly ask for it.
The Chelsea boss got his wish as Spain left the forward out of the squad to face Belarus in the Euro 2016 qualifiers and Germany in a friendly.
"I'm
pleased, but I want to make it clear I did nothing to make it happen,"
Mourinho said. "He was protected in the Champions League match [away to
Maribor] but, because the result was not good, I had to play him for 45
minutes.
"As a consequence of the work we're doing with him, we
think he's ready to start tomorrow [against Liverpool] but obviously not
to go with the national team. He'll have 15 days finally to rest and
work properly, and that's fantastic news for us.
"Obviously, I
give thanks for the decision made by the Spanish Football Federation,
but I want to make it clear I did nothing to make it happen.
"He is fit to play, yes. Hopefully everything goes well, but yes he starts the game."
Mourinho also outlined Costa's programme for the next 15 days -- a
period the manager says the player has needed since arriving at Chelsea
to finally solve an ongoing hamstring problem.
"Immediately after
the match, he'll have a period of complete rest, no training or
treatment, not even another [massage] on his muscle," he said. "Just
rest a few days. After that, to continue the specific work he's been
doing without having a match to play even the next weekend.
"It's
very good news for him and for us, and also for the national team.
Normally now he has to go in the right direction. It's good for the
Spanish federation to have a 'good' Diego, rather than a 'so-so' Diego."
