Jose Mourinho complains of 'desire to suspend' Chelsea striker Diego Costa
Tuesday 29 September 2015 07:53, UK
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes there is a "desire to suspend" striker Diego Costa following his retrospective ban for grappling with Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny.
Costa is poised to return to the Chelsea line-up for Tuesday's Champions League Group G clash at Porto having missed the 2-2 draw at Newcastle serving the first of a three-game ban.
Mourinho was full of praise for the Spain international's performance against the Gunners, but when asked if he'd like all 11 players to show the same desire, he said: "I think we would lose every game because the desire to suspend him is so big that we wouldn't have players to start the game.
"I'm happy to have only one and let him play until they decide to suspend him again."
Midfield playmaker Cesc Fabregas, who enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Costa last term, believes it was wrong for the striker to be banned.
"He's frustrated, obviously, and rightly so. It's very unfair what's happened to him," Fabregas said.
Chelsea's core players have so far struggled to hit the heights of last term and former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Fabregas says more is required - and not just when Mourinho demands it, as the manager did at half-time of Saturday's abject draw at Newcastle.
"We're not babies. It has to come from us," Fabregas added. "We have to perform because we are winners and because we play for Chelsea.
"Not because the manager has to come to us and be upset and then yes, we perform, like what happened on Saturday at Newcastle.
"Maybe things are not going the way we want at the moment, but I'm sure we'll turn it around.
"We won the league last year, there's no reason why we shouldn't do it again this year. We have to start performing from now."
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