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Chelsea March Towards Manchester United But Costa Mystery On Mourinho's Mind by baski92(m): 5:49am On Oct 22, 2014 |
Jose Mourinho's team selection for this emphatic Champions League win had been telling. No Diego Costa, as expected. And no Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta, either. A midweek home tie against minnows Maribor had always felt like the starter before the main course of Sunday's Premier League showdown against Manchester United. As satisfying as it was for the Chelsea faithful to watch their re-jigged team destroy hopelessly outclassed opponents, thoughts had turned to Old Trafford long before Eden Hazard administered the final rites with a brilliantly taken sixth. Mourinho was telling porky pies when he claimed pre-match that he would not rest anyone against Maribor and that the United match was not on his mind. Courtois and Cahill have started all eight of Chelsea's Premier League matches this season and both will surely begin a ninth at the weekend. Filipe Luis was given the chance to build his fitness up ahead of replacing the suspended Azpilicueta at left-back. Moreover, Cesc Fabregas delivered 59 minutes of sparkling midfield play against Maribor before he departed to a standing ovation. Oscar also left the Stamford Bridge stage prematurely to be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the weekend. Both men are integral to Chelsea's attacking combinations and their manager will be delighted to have given them some extra rest. In revealing post-match that he did not want his youngsters to come on too early, Mourinho showed that he would not take victory for granted by resting all of his big guns. Yet not everything went to plan for the Portuguese, who has been given food for thought by the early events of a game that further upset the applecart of his forward permutations. Seconds after proving there can be life after Costa by driving in Chelsea's opener from the edge of the box, Remy was wincing with pain and being replaced by Didier Drogba. "Remy has a problem in his groin," explained Mourinho afterwards. The indication from the Portugese is that the injury is serious and the Frenchman will be out of action for a few weeks. The state of Costa's troublesome hamstring is more of a mystery. Fit enough to play two full matches for Spain during the international break and to wreck Premier League defences before it, the former Atletico Madrid ace has not made the matchday squad for the last two matches. Mourinho has offered routinely pessimistic briefings about Costa's condition all season without actually providing much insight into the state of his hamstring. On Monday he ignored questions about whether his star forward has a strain or, more seriously, a tear. While the indications from the Bridge are that Costa will not be involved again on Sunday, regular Mourinho observers will not be convinced of the player's absence until his name is not included on the teamsheet. The answer to Chelsea's forward conundrum could lie with the veteran figure of Drogba, who unexpectedly led the line for 75 minutes tonight. The years may have robbed him of a yard or two of pace but the replacement for the replacement showed he has lost none of his dressing room presence by ignoring his manager's orders and demanding of designated penalty taker Eden Hazard that he take the first spot-kick. The Ivorian emphatically banged it in to put his team 2-0 up and smirked afterwards that he had needed to put away his first Chelsea goal since Munich to lift his own confidence as he struggles to deal with the realities of being the third-choice striker. "We know the player he is and he can still give us a lot," said Mourinho of the 36-year-old. The question is whether Drogba can play two almost full games in four days and be an effective spearhead in a marquee match with such little game time behind him. Alternatively, Chelsea could do what they did in the corresponding fixture last season, when the manager made clear his distaste for the forwards at his disposal by fielding a striker-less team at Old Trafford spearheaded by Andre Schurrle. For all the zeal and excitement of Mourinho's new Chelsea, he remains a pragmatist at heart. There is much for the manager to ponder.
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