Chelsea striker Diego Costa will likely miss Saturday’s semi-friendly against Real Madrid. While the Blues face one Madrid team on the pItch, management continues to ward off the other in their pursuit of Costa.
Diego Costa completed only partial training sessions with their club during their week in California due to an unspecified back injury suffered in training earlier in the week. Costa is unlikely to suit up against Real Madrid, and the missed training time may impact his availability for the Premier League opener.
Antonio Conte acknowledged Costa’s effort and attitude in camp, but said that he will not put a player in the lineup unless he can work with that player consistently in training.
"If I don’t see a player doing the training session I can’t put them in the game. These are my rules and it’s important to understand this. My concept is very clear. I want to see my players doing the work in the training session. – Evening Standard"
While Conte prepares a formation bereft of Costa, club management is parking the bus in front of the Spanish striker to block yet another raid by Atletico Madrid. Atletico Madrid is reportedly preparing a £40 million bid to bring Costa back.
Chelsea has already issued written warnings to Atletico Madrid to cease their pursuit of Costa, threatening to take the matter to FIFA. The matter appeared to be resolved when Atletico’s president Enrique Cerezo stated, in what seemed like no uncertain terms, “Costa is a Chelsea player… That’s the end of this issue.”
That should have been the end of the matter, and perhaps it really was. But silly season took a turn for the sillier this week when Diego Costa’s Instagram post became the subject of Talmudic parsing and over-interpretation. Despite deep inquiry and contentious analysis over the meaning of his profile picture, no representatives from any party involved have made a public statement since Cerezo’s.
Costa’s absence will open more opportunities for Michy Batshuayi, Bertrand Traore and midfielder-turned-striker Ruben Loftus-Cheek to spearhead Chelsea’s offense. Their youth and inexperience will be a significant vulnerability against Real Madrid, and may impel Chelsea’s efforts towards signing Alvaro Morata or Romelu Lukaku.
The rumors around these two transfer targets had mostly died down in the preceding weeks. Lukaku’s lack-luster performance in Euro 2016 combined with Everton’s £75 million asking price appeared to take him off of Chelsea’s radar screen. Morata seemed increasingly not worth the transfer fee, and no one seemed able to make a strong case for why Chelsea should sign him. With Batshuayi quickly adapting to Chelsea and Conte, things seemed at peace.
Now with a question mark hanging over Costa, Chelsea may need to re-enter the transfer market for a striker at a disadvantageous position. Chelsea’s needs will only get more acute as the Premier League season approaches. The degree of Chelsea’s need will turn on whether Costa’s absence is short-term, long-term or permanent.
Next: Chelsea Mid-preseason report card (sure, it's a thing)
With so few experienced, first-class strikers remaining on the transfer market, Chelsea may find themselves acquiescing to a price that they would otherwise consider a gouge.