Spain doctor refutes Mourinho claims

• Posted on October 30, 2014October 30, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Chelsea manager claimed the striker’s lack of involvement since international duty was down to the way he was handled by the national side, which Juan Jose Garcia Cota denies

Diego Costa‘s club versus country row rumbles on after Spain‘s team doctor insisted the Chelsea striker did not pick up a fresh injury on international duty.

The 25-year-old striker has scored nine goals in seven Premier League games since arriving during the summer, but has been blighted by a persistent hamstring injury.

That issue, combined with a virus, means he has not featured for Chelsea since playing in Spain’s Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg earlier this month.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho laid the blame for Costa’s current absence on his involvement with Vicente del Bosque’s side, but Spain team doctor Juan Jose Garcia Cota has refuted those claims.

“This time he [Costa] didn’t say anything about the hamstring,” Cota told IBTimes UK. “When Costa arrived to the international team he said to us he had a minor hassle in the groin but that it was nothing important.

“He probably had played with it before for Chelsea and he didn’t complain any more about it during the international duty.

“He was treated by the physios [like every other player] and didn’t have any limitations when doing exercises.

“I wouldn’t even say it was an injury or a problem. It was a very minor hassle that is very common in every professional footballer. He didn’t even ask for treatment and didn’t require a scan or anything similar.”

By Peter Hanson