Diego Costa Set To Start Against Burnley After Completing Suspension

Diego Costa is set to return for Chelsea in the Premier League after serving out his three-match ban for stamping Emre Can.

Chelsea did not miss their striker as they picked up seven points from nine in his absence. The Spaniard started in Chelsea’s Champions league game against PSG and is expected to lead the line against Burnley against whom he scored his first Premier League goal way back in August.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has revealed that he doesn’t like the way his start player Eden Hazard is fouled in the UEFA Champions league. The Belgian is the most fouled player in the elite competition but has luckily avoided injuries so far. Mourinho also said that John Obi Mikel is the only one injured at the moment and could be out for more than two weeks, “[John Obi] Mikel is still out, I would say a couple more weeks minimum. After that no more problems. After Paris we had no recurrence of any injury and Eden [Hazard] is a lucky boy not to be injured.

“During the game I was aware of the number of fouls, I wasn’t counting, but was aware he was surrounded and fouled.

“But only on TV could I understand the dimension of the fouls because some were dangerous ones.

“He is a lucky boy but he deserves luck, the same way he was lucky at Stoke.”

Mourinho went on and said that Hazard is an honest player and is hard to stop, “I hope he stays lucky.

“He is honest, loyal, he doesn’t provoke opponents and try to create emotional reactions but in this moment he is a difficult person to stop.

“And at the moment it is going over the line but I am proud of him for being this kind of honest kid on the pitch and I leave it with the authorities to do something if they feel they need to do.”

Chelsea are expected to start with Diego Costa in front of Oscar with Hazard and Cuadrado operating on the wings. John Terry could be rested after appearing in the mid-week game and we could see the return of Kurt Zouma into the lineup. Likewise, Filipe Luis could start ahead of Azpilicueta who played three days ago. Mourinho will try to keep his team as fresh as possible but at the same time he will not want to underestimate Burnley.

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