Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has said he expects striker Diego Costa to “come back strongly” after being dropped to the bench for Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Tottenham.
Costa did not come on and, in the final moments of the game, threw his substitutes’ bib over his shoulder in the direction of coach Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho reacted by saying: “If he wants to hurt me, it’s not with a bib. I have a good relationship with him, no problems.”
And Ivanovic, who captained Chelsea in the absence of the injured John Terry, said: “We start the season as a team and we have to finish as a team.
“This is important. When we start losing, we all know it’s not about the one or two players playing badly or playing well — it’s about the team.
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“Diego didn’t play against Tottenham, but he’ll be ready for the next game.
“I expect him to come back strongly. Sometimes for a player who isn’t playing it’s difficult, but it is a normal situation for the club.
“He scored against Norwich — the winning goal. It’s all about the team. We all have to think about that.”
On Friday, Mourinho asked the Spain international, who has scored three Premier League goals this season, to give him more when not on the ball.
The Blues boss was quoted by the BBC after the Spurs game as saying: “If he [Costa] watched the game with some attention from the bench, he will know what is needed from him.
“I think Diego is privileged because he is the last one [to be] on the bench. Everyone else has been on the bench.”
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