Chelsea injury news: Diego Costa to return but Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois definitely out against Aston Villa

'Everybody else is available'

Tom Sheen
Friday 16 October 2015 11:24 BST
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Diego Costa (second left) trains with the Chelsea squad at Cobham yesterday
Diego Costa (second left) trains with the Chelsea squad at Cobham yesterday (Getty Images)

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Diego Costa is back in contention to return to the Chelsea starting line-up against Aston Villa with his three-match suspension now completed.

The Spanish striker was banned retrospectively for lashing out at Gabriel Paulista when Chelsea beat Arsenal on 19 September, but has seen through that ban after missing the League Cup win against Walsall, the draw at Newcastle and the Southampton defeat.

Jose Mourinho confirmed that Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois are the squad's only injury concerns.

"We have only Ivanovic injury and Courtois recovering. Everybody else is available," he said at his pre-match press conference.

Ivanovic was injured while on international duty for Serbia in midweek, while No 1 goalkeeper Courtois is likely to be out until early December because of his knee problem.

Jose Mourinho is under more pressure ahead of the must-win game with Villa afte reports emerged of a 'mutiny' in the Chelsea dressing room.

With Ivanovic out Mourinho said he has "four solutions", although he strangely omitted £14million Baba Rahman as one of those, instead naming a teenage youth player.

"I have four solutions," he said. " I have Azpilicueta. I have the adaptation of [Kurt] Zouma or Ramires and I have Ola Aina, who is 18 years old."

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