A disappointment for the Blues supporters over the weekend is the loss at Wembley. But, the loss on the pitch is lesser compared to the loss of Diego Costa before the match to a hamstring injury.
Jose Mourinho was expecting the Spanish international to play against Arsenal for some time at least, but that was not to be.
Two days ago he was ready to play. When I told you two days ago he was ready to play. He trained normally on Friday and yesterday at the end of the training session he said he was not feeling good.
This is not the first time that Costa strained his hamstring. Ever since he joined the Blues from Atletico Madrid, his hamstring troubled him throughout the entire last season. But, he was strong enough to score 20 Premier League goals and win the title in his first season in England.
This time, the injury puts him in doubt for the season opener. Mourinho had to start with Loic Remy for the Community Shield. It was golden opportunity for the Frenchman to win Mourinho’s approval but he fluffed his lines. The fact that he failed to test Petr Cech at least once spoke of his influence on the game.
Not that his replacement Radamel Falcao did any better. The Colombian showed lot of enthusiasm after replacing Remy at the break. But, that is where it all ended. He didn’t look sharp and has lot of ground to cover before he can prove worthy of a starting place.
Mourinho will have to fit Falcao or Remy in his starting team in Costa’s absence. He likes playing with one striker but is not averse to starting with two men upfront. As has been indicated in the previous weeks, Mourinho is happy to include Falcao as his second striker. But, the evidence from Community Shield is not good news for him or the Blues supporters.
The season will look long and difficult if Costa feels his hamstring as often as he did last season. The absence will be much more significant if Remy and Falcao keep playing ‘invisible striker’. And Mourinho will be forced to pray for Costa’s fitness or rue the loss of Didier Drogba.
