Jose Mourinho has confirmed Diego Costa will be fit to lead the line at Manchester City on Sunday but will be rested against Bolton in the Capital One Cup.
Costa is nursing a hamstring problem which needs rest and not in the top condition, according to the manager.
When asked about his squad's fitness ahead of the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, Mourinho said: 'Everybody’s ready. Diego (Costa) is not in the best condition but he will start.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Manuel Pellegrini: I am not surprised about Diego Costa
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Chelsea striker Diego Costa, put through his paces in training on Friday, will start for the Blues on Sunday
Diego Costa, who has scored seven this season, will start against Manchester City confirms Jose Mourinho
Mourinho revealed that striker Costa will then be rested midweek against Bolton Wanderers
Diego Costa (left) was left on the bench against Schalke on Wednesday due to recurring hamstring problems
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Costa was fit enough to train on Friday as Mourinho claims the striker 'is not in the best condition'
Manuel Pellegrini: I am not surprised about Diego Costa
'He plays this game but he cannot play against Bolton, as simple as that. He plays Sunday and not against Bolton, then he plays against Aston Villa.
'That’s his evolution. Let’s hope he goes in the right direction and becomes available for every game.
'Last season he was at Atletico Madrid, this season the problem was in the national team but I don’t want to speak about it. The player is fantastic in his amazing attitude to play.
'I know what we have and clearly that we have to protect him until he gets completely fit.'
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Mourinho talks to his backroom staff as he prepares his side to face Manchester City on Sunday
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Blues striker Didier Drogba jumps in to block a pass during Chelsea training before the trip to the Etihad
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Diego Costa (right) scored a hat-trick against Swansea and has seven in five matches this season
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Jose Mourinho (pictured) masterminded a Chelsea victory against Man City at the Etihad Stadium last season
Sunday's match also raises the possibility of Frank Lampard facing the Blues for the first time since leaving this summer.
And Mourinho insists it is not 'strange' that Lampard is now at City but he would not have foreseen the move just months ago.
'It’s football - not strange,' he said.
Jose Mourinho: I didn't expect Frank Lampard to join Manchester...
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Frank Lampard could make his first appearance against Chelsea since leaving the club this summer
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Mourinho says it will not be 'strange' to face Lampard but he did not envisage the midfielder going to City
'I wouldn’t have imagined that. Even a few months ago when he signed for the New York (City) team, I wasn’t expecting that. But it’s his decision.
'When he left for New York I thought he was going to New York but it is his life and his decision and he has my respect for that.'
The magnitude of the match has not escaped Mourinho either, although he was keen to play down the importance of just one fixture.
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The midfielder left Chelsea at the start of the summer and moved to the Etihad on loan from New York City
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Mourinho says his 'job is easier' against bigger teams because he does not have to motivate the players
He continued: 'It’s always a good time to play the big teams. Against the big teams my job is easier.
'It's one more game, three more points - but obviously when matches are between title contenders every point makes a difference.
'Arsenal and City got one point each (last week) which means nobody got three.
'These matches can be important but in a simple and pragmatic point of view it’s one game, three points and no more.
'We don’t play against just them. We play against another 19 teams. It’s not just City for the title. This is not a situation of Chelsea or City.
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Summer signing Loic Remy gets ready for the City clash having scored last weekend in the win over Swansea
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Chelsea's full-back Cesar Azpilicueta slides in on Andre Schurrle during training in Cobham on Friday
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Branislav Ivanovic (left) scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat City at the Etihad last season
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Mourinho, here pictured on the touchline at the Etihad, masterminded the win but says that is in the past
'Last season we had the experience and we know what it’s like to win and lose there (at the Etihad).
'Statistics belong to history not to the future. Can we go there and win? Obviously we can. Can we lose? We also can.'
Chelsea finished third in the Premier League last season but strengthened their squad with the signings of Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Filipe Luis and Loic Remy this summer.
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Eden Hazard (left) is another of Chelsea's players who will be expected to put in a big performance at City
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Gary Cahill (left) and John Terry (second right) are part of a settled Chelsea defence but they have let in seven
And Mourinho thinks that he has a more competitive group of players to choose from than in the last campaign and that they can challenge the champions.
'I don’t want to compare,' he said. 'Our squad is better than last season. We have more solutions.
'We have players with qualities we didn’t have and feel our squad - although very short only 21 players - we have a good balance and we are happy. We don’t compare ourselves with others.'
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Cesc Fabregas, here celebrating scoring against Schalke, has been excellent for Chelsea so far this season
Fabregas has starred so far this season and the Portuguese explained he knew just how good a player he was signing when the Spaniard move from Barcelona this summer.
He explained: 'I know the qualities (Fabregas has). Age, experience, tactical culture, made in England - in the PL. He had no need to learn philosophies and feelings.
'The team was waiting for a player of his dimension. I was expecting him to play the way he’s been playing.'
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Fabregas celebrates his goal to put Chelsea 1-0 up on Wednesday night and Mourinho says he has 'qualities'
When asked about how he felt after Wembley was awarded the right to host the 2020 European Championship final, Mourinho revealed his delight.
He said: 'It's great. It has to be a special Euro with playing in so many countries but ending in London at Wembley is fantastic news.
'I'd like to be there as a fan - not as a manager.'
source:dailymail
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