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José Mourinho hits out at Spain’s handling of Diego Costa injury | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Chelsea manager José Mourinho has spoken of his simmering discontent over uncommunicative national team managers over the treatment of his players in the continued absence of striker Diego Costa. | |
Spain striker Costa is out of Tuesday’s Champions League Group G clash with Maribor with a hamstring problem which has plagued him persistently this season. | |
Mourinho believes it was exacerbated by playing against Slovakia and Luxembourg during the international break this month and took a swipe at Spain boss Vicente del Bosque. | |
“It’s the same problem that he’s having, but now an injury, not an almost injury,” said Mourinho, who is uncertain when Costa will return. | |
“It’s simple. He’s not training because he’s not in condition to do it. | |
“Tomorrow he cannot play. Let’s see what happens for next weekend, but next weekend is not important. | |
“I don’t have Manchester United (on Sunday in the Premier League) in mind. I have Maribor in mind.” | |
Costa has scored nine goals in seven Premier League games, but was absent for Saturday’s win at Crystal Palace. | |
Chelsea have the same squad as at Palace for their first fixture with a Slovenian side, with Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel (foot) absent and Brazil midfielder Ramires (groin) and World Cup winning Germany forward André Schürrle (illness) also missing despite training on Monday. | |
It is the situation regarding Costa which appears to be frustrating Mourinho most. | |
He added: “Sometimes you have national coaches and medical departments that want to establish a relationship and they are interested in the players, their physical condition, their habits. | |
“Some others they simply don’t care. This is not something we can resolve. | |
“In this moment, since the beginning of the season, I think from all the national teams, I think (I have received) one phone call from Roy (Hodgson, the England boss).” | |
Mourinho declined to reveal details of the conversation with Hodgson, but defender Gary Cahill was carrying an ankle knock at the start of September prior to England’s match with Switzerland. | |
The Portuguese revealed how then Croatia boss Igor Stimac called him three times a week about midfielder Luca Modric when he was Real Madrid boss as an example of communication. | |
“It hurts,” Mourinho added. | |
“You are not happy when you give players in good conditions and you receive the players in bad conditions.” |