Chelsea’s Pre-Arsenal Team News: Mourinho Offers Latest On Costa, Drogba + More

Premier League leaders Chelsea welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Sunday in this weekend’s stand-out fixture.

Ahead of the game blues boss Jose Mourinho has been speaking to the media this lunchtime and he’s given Chelseafc.com a team news and injury update.

The good news, for Chelsea fans at least, is that Mourinho has confirmed that star striker Diego Costa is fit to start against the Gunners despite fears over his ability to play three games in a week due to his troublesome hamstring injury.

Costa has started in both Chelsea’s previous two games against Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon but Mourinho feels the four days rest he’s had since Tuesday’s Champions League clash is sufficient recovery time, so the Brazilian-born striker is set to start on Sunday.

The Blues coach told the clubs website:

‘He [Costa] can play against Arsenal. He had the match in Lisbon, he had these four days in between, he will be in an okay condition.’

However, while Arsenal fans will no doubt be dreading the thought of facing the in-form Costa, they can rest easy that Didier Drogba won’t be tormenting them this time around. The Ivorian has an excellent goal-scoring record against the North Londoners but he’s been ruled of this weekend’s game after failing to recover from an ankle injury.

Ramires is also absent with the Brazilian midfielder still nursing a groin problem that’s seen him miss the last three weeks, but otherwise Mourinho has a fully-fit squad to choose from.

You can see the latest Arsenal team news here

Chelsea head into the game in formidable form having won five and drawn one of their opening six league games and sit three points clear at the top of the table. A win on Sunday would see them move 9 points clear of Arsenal, which would almost rule the Gunners out of the title race even at this early stage of the season.