Is There A Way Back For Costa?  (Sky Sports)

Diego Costa does not need to apologise and still could have a future at Chelsea despite tumultuous week, says the Sunday Supplement panel.

Sky sources reported on Friday night that an unsettled Costa had been dropped for the trip to Leicester, which Chelsea won 3-0, after arguing with Conte and two fitness coaches in training on Tuesday.

Conte is understood to have ended the spat by telling Costa to "go to China", with the striker apparently unsettled by a £30m-per-year offer from a Chinese Super League club, and he did not train with the first team for the rest of the week.

After the Blues' victory at the King Power, Conte insisted he is not aware of any interest from China and a back injury “is the truth”, and he will assess Costa when the team returns to training on Tuesday.

Sky sources understand owner Roman Abramovich has no intention of selling Costa in January, meaning Costa could still have a part to play in Chelsea's title tilt, and Daily Mirror chief sports writer Andy Dunn believes Costa and Conte's relationship is repairable.

"No, he doesn’t need to apologise, maybe to the fitness coach," Dunn told the Sunday Supplement. "Conte is just as combustible as Costa, so neither would apologise to each other and neither would expect an apology from each other.

"There is a way back, but it is in Costa’s court. Unlike other clubs, Chelsea do not need to sell. It might be tempting – he is 28 and an offer of £60m will be tempting – but Chelsea don’t need it.

"We know that he won’t be sold in the January transfer window, so he either relents and joins in or does nothing and goes to China in the summer.

"You cannot imagine Roman Abramovich backing down on this."

The options Costa has at his disposal has divided opinion, but chief football writer for the Daily Telegraph Sam Wallace insists Conte will know why Costa is having such a dilemma.

"I think there is [a way back]," Wallace said. "I think Conte is wise enough to know that this is modern football, and it is not like the days of when was long serving for Lecce and Juventus. He knows this is just the way it is now, and you have to deal with it.

"What Chelsea will want to do is bring him back into the fold with the minimum of fuss. What they don’t want is a West Ham type situation where the fans are singing about [Dimitri] Payet, and their relationship has completely gone. It has to be more subtle that that.

"Chelsea fans know that Costa is quite high maintenance. Even after he had had that brilliant first season in English football, and Chelsea won the league, he still wanted to leave.

"Of course the clubs want all their players to be totally committed, but it is just not like that anymore. There is a way back."