Mourinho not looking to sign striker despite concern over Costa
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has insisted he is not looking to sign another striker despite Diego Costa’s ongoing injury problems.
Costa is a doubt for Saturday’s Premier League opener against Swansea because of the hamstring trouble which affected him for much of last season.
But Mourinho is adamant he has enough firepower for the coming campaign with Costa, Loic Remy and summer signing Radamel Falcao in his squad.
“No – we brought in Falcao because we know we need three,” Mourinho said when asked if he would consider signing another forward. “Three is the perfect number and we have three.”
Responding to the suggestion that Costa’s fitness woes mean Mourinho effectively has two and a half strikers at his disposal, the Portuguese said: “The half when he plays is one and a half, so he compensates because he’s a fantastic player.”
Spain international Costa, 26, established himself as a key player for the Blues as they stormed to the Premier League title last season.
He scored 20 goals and was a constant menace to opposition defenders, but he also missed a number of games as Chelsea sought to manage his hamstring problem.
“Obviously I prefer a situation where a player is never injured, never has problems and is at the top level during 10 months of competition,” Mourinho added.
“But there is nobody to blame. I cannot blame the player, because he works hard. The medical department I completely trust. So I have nobody to blame.
“So be calm, be positive and believe he will be with us for many matches.
“I prefer to have a top player like him – when he’s ready he makes a real difference – than to have a player who is always available but is just a little bit better than myself.”
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