Spain
coach Vicente del Bosque says Chelsea’s Diego Costa will not be allowed to
pull out of the national squad if he is fit.
The striker has been at the centre of a row between his club and country in
recent weeks, with Blues boss Jose Mourinho keen to protect his £32m signing
after he arrived in England this summer with a hamstring injury.
However, Del Bosque insisted that the 26-year-old, who scored his first
international goal in a 4-0 win over Luxembourg last Sunday, would play for
Spain unless it can be proved he is injured.
"If he’s well, he will have to play with the national team," La Roja's coach
told AS. "His muscle injury is very difficult to prove.
“We were almost in the realm of the mystical. It’s not that complicated. If
he’s ok, he plays, as he did in Paris. If he’s not right, he goes back to
his club, as against Macedonia."
Mourinho has claimed that Costa, who is Premier League top scorer with nine
goals, is currently unable to train properly because of his hamstring
problem.
"He cannot be on top of his game," said the Portuguese boss. "He's doing
almost nothing in training. He's just resting and recovering from the tight
muscle he has."
Meanwhile, Del Bosque has also revealed that he will step down as head coach
of Spain after the 2016 European Championships.
Del Bosque has been in charge of the national team for six years, during
which he has won both the World Cup (in 2010) and Euro 2012.
However, the country crashed out of the 2014 World Cup group stages after
losing to both Netherlands and Chile, leading to criticism of Del Bosque.
The 63-year-old, who has previously managed Real Madrid, told AS: “In life
you can never be sure of anything but yes, that’s my intention: to continue
until 2016 in France and then to leave.
“The (Spanish) federation needs to prepare a gentle transition (to his
successor) but I will stay close to football and the federation.”
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