Chelsea have no choice but to play out-of-sorts Diego Costa despite Jose Mourinho bust-up

Costa and Mourinho appeared to row on the touchline about the striker's movement

JOSE MOURINHO does not have a problem with Diego Costa.

 

As for the player? He seems to have issues with his manger, the opposition and anyone else ready for confrontation.

Chelsea flew back from their 4-0 win over Macabbi Tel Aviv to instantly set their sights on Sunday's London derby at Spurs, a venue where they lost 5-3 on New Year's Day.

By this time last year Costa had scored 12 times; this season he has four goals but still made the headlines in Haifa after his row with Mourinho who was unhappy at his movement.

 

They might have kissed and made up at half-time. But that does not tell the bigger picture.

There were constant rumours last season that Costa was unhappy in England but he was happy at Chelsea. Mourinho's stout defending of his striker throughout all the flare ups was a key part of that.

If that relationship has broken down, then the striker may feel there is little left for him in English football. For now, Chelsea have no alternative but to keep playing the troubled 27-year-old right.

 

Radamel Falcao, signed on loan in the summer from Monaco as cover, has proved a massive flop and might be allowed to leave in January, and while Frenchman Loic Remy is quick and scores goals, he is not strong enough to lead the line like Costa over 90 minutes.

Chelsea have been looking at strikers, with Boca Juniors Jonathan Calleri, who has hit 21 goals this season, and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann are top of the list.

Griezmann, at least, is highly unlikely to be available in January. They may go for a cut price option, and save their big spending until the summer.

While Chelsea did what they had to do in Israel, Dynamo Kiev unexpectedly won at Porto. That means Group G will go down to the final set of games on December 9, when Chelsea know that a point against Mourinho's old club Porto at Stamford Bridge would be enough to see them through to the knockout stages.

 

Defeat would send them out, providing Kiev beat whipping boys Maccabi at home - and the ignominy of the Europa League would await.

But consistency, albeit two wins in a row, has returned to Chelsea as they head to White Hart Lane.

Chelsea are likely to be without John Terry against Spurs after the captain suffered an ankle injury on a pitch Mourinho described as "dangerous".

And fellow centre-half Gary Cahill is facing a race against time over a new contract. The England star's current deal runs out at the end of next season, but he turns 30 on December 19 - and Chelsea only offer players over 30 one year deals.

 

Costa has struggled for form this season, with just four goals

One team Mourinho is hoping go through to the next stage of the Champions League is Olympiacos - at the expense of Arsenal.

But it has nothing to do with his feud with Arsene Wenger, whose side face the Greeks in their decisive final group match.

Mourinho said: "I would always like English teams to qualify, first.

"They are in a group where a kid friend of mine Marco Silva is the manager of Olympiakos. It would be fantastic for the kid's career to go through, so I have to be honest and say that I would like the kid and Olympiacos to go on."