Diego Costa was named in Chelsea’s official 25 man Premier League squad list despite him trying to force a move to Atletico Madrid this summer.
Chelsea reportedly fined Costa two weeks of wages for failing to return to training and he has remained in Brazil as the dispute over his future carries on.
Costa claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail last month that Chelsea are treating him “like a criminal” and that he has lost all personal respect for head coach Antonio Conte over the Italian’s handling of the situation.
Sources at Chelsea told ESPN FC last month that four conditions have been set out for Costa to resolve the current stand-off.
The first is that he return to England, the second that he return to training, the third that he get himself match fit and the fourth that he make himself available for selection.
Reports earlier today suggested talks were ongoing though there could be some disagreement over the player’s wages, while Atletico are also under a transfer ban, so cannot register Costa as their player until January.
Chelsea’s Belgian goalkeeper has all but confirmed this after mimicking the now infamous quote by Gerard Pique on Neymar earlier in the summer, the Belgian tweeted: ‘Se Queda’, meaning ‘stays’ with a picture of himself and Costa holding last season’s Premier League trophy.
Pique lived to regret his message when Neymar did end up leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, but it is surely too late for a twist in the Costa saga.
His dream move to Atletico Madrid failed to materialise and with less than a year left for the World cup in Russia, he will have to get game time to make a return to the national team set-up.
It’s far from clear whether Conte and Chelsea have cleared out any differences with Costa and whether he will, in fact, appear in a blue jersey again this season but it is very likely that he will have to return to Stamford Bridge for training or it could seriously tarnish his chances of making to La Roja’s squad for the World Cup.
Chelsea were to name 25 players in the squad with no more than 17 non-homegrown players. Chelsea named just 20 in the squad which included new signings Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta. Players like Kennedy, Andreas Christensen, and Charly Musonda make up the U-21 Quota.
Chelsea will go on a trip to King Power Stadium to face Leicester city when the international break concludes.
