A scan has revealed that Diego Costa suffered a bruised tibia in Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Everton over the weekend.
The combative striker scored one goal and assisted another in the game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but he had to be substituted when he limped off after 80 minutes. The club’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, said this is star striker had been in ‘a lot of pain’ when he spoke to the press after the match.
How long the defending Premier League champions will be without the Brazilian-born Spanish international remains to be seen, though their next match is against title-chasing Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Costa, who struggled to find the net when Mourinho was manager earlier in the season, has scored 5 goals since the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sacked and Hiddink took over in December.
The 27 year-old was top scorer for the London club last term, netting 20 goals as he helped to fire the Blues to a Premier League and League Cup double. He appeared to fallout with Jose Mourinho towards the end of the Portuguese manager’s time in charge, however. The pair had a public spat towards the end of a match against Maccabi Tel-Aviv before the striker appeared to throw his bib at his then manager when he was an unused substitute during a 0-0 draw with Spurs at White Hart Lane.
The forward has returned to form under Hiddink and the Dutchman will be hoping that the bruised shin will not keep him out of action for too long.