Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League showdown with Everton, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has expressed his desire for Fernando Torres to remain at the club, while also stating that striker Diego Costa is a “big doubt” to make the Blues’ bench at Goodison Park.

Torres has been linked with a move to AC Milan in recent days. Reports have stated that an agreement has been reached between the 30-year-old and the Serie A club, with the Spain international to join the Italian side on a two-year contract. All that remains for the transfer to be complete is for Torres to secure a severance package with Chelsea and terminate his contract “by mutual consent”.

Speaking earlier today, Mourinho hinted at a possible exit for Torres, but the Portuguese boss also left the door open for the player to remain at Stamford Bridge.

“What we have clear is that we need three strikers to face the season,” Mourinho said. “He [Torres] is one of them.”

“I like him as a person. I like him as a player. If he wants to leave it is something he didn’t say to me. At the moment he is our player, nothing more than that.”

“If he wants to leave I believe it is because he wants to try a new life, a new club, a new league. If he wants to leave I believe it is to try and be happier than he was in the last couple of years.”

“This is a very human club in the way it tries to approach these situations. If he comes to us then any possibility will be analyzed.”

Mourinho also revealed that he believed the club’s transfer business was “done”, because he is happy with the squad; and also because Chelsea would need to sell a player before they could bring one in.

Additionally, the Portuguese boss gave an update on the hamstring injury suffered by striker Diego Costa during training on Wednesday.

“In this moment I can’t say much,” Mourinho said. “We are trying everything for him to play tomorrow. He didn’t train for the last two days, but today is the last day and we must make a decision to select him or not.”

“He has to try a light training session to see if the reaction is positive. If it is we take him to Everton to play or to be on the bench; if the reaction is not positive today then obviously we don’t select him.”

“What matters now is the match tomorrow and not the match in three weeks’ time. For tomorrow he is a big doubt. Let’s see.”

Towards the end of last season while at Atletico Madrid, Costa was prone to nagging injuries, but the Brazilian-born striker found his way into Diego Simeone’s lineup 50 times in all competitions; scoring 36 goals while leading Los Colchoneros to the La Liga title.

During a match in April, Costa was carried off the pitch with a severe gash to his shin after the striker had slammed his leg into the goal post while scoring scoring his 26 league goal.

There was a fear that Costa would miss Atletico’s next league match and possibly the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. But the striker started the club’s next game against Elche and scored in the 91st minute; Costa also started the match against Chelsea in the Vicente Calderon.Atlético Madrid 2 Elche 0 by jordixana