Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has spoken of his simmering discontent over uncommunicative national team managers over the treatment of his players in the continued absence of striker Diego Costa.
Spain striker Costa is out of Tuesday’s Champions League Group G clash with Maribor with a hamstring problem which has plagued him persistently this season. Mourinho believes it was exacerbated by playing against Slovakia and Luxembourg during the international break this month and took a swipe at Spain boss Vicente del Bosque.
“It’s the same problem that he’s having, but now an injury, not an almost injury,” said Mourinho, who is uncertain when Costa will return.
“It’s simple. He’s not training because he’s not in condition to do it.
“Tomorrow he cannot play. Let’s see what happens for next weekend, but next weekend is not important.
“I don’t have Manchester United (on Sunday in the Premier League) in mind. I have Maribor in mind.”
Costa has scored nine goals in seven Premier League games, but was absent for Saturday’s win at Crystal Palace.
Chelsea have the same squad as at Palace for their first fixture with a Slovenian side, with Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel (foot) absent and Brazil midfielder Ramires (groin) and World Cup winning Germany forward Andre Schurrle (illness) also missing despite training on Monday. It is the situation regarding Costa which appears to be frustrating Mourinho most.
He added: “Sometimes you have national coaches and medical departments that want to establish a relationship and they are interested in the players, their physical condition, their habits.
“Some others they simply don’t care. This is not something we can resolve.
“In this moment, since the beginning of the season, I think from all the national teams, I think (I have received) one phone call from Roy (Hodgson, the England boss).”
Mourinho declined to reveal details of the conversation with Hodgson, but defender Gary Cahill was carrying an ankle knock at the start of September prior to England’s match with Switzerland.
The Portuguese revealed how then Croatia boss Igor Stimac called him three times a week about midfielder Luka Modric when he was Real Madrid boss as an example of communication.
“It hurts,” Mourinho added. “You are not happy when you give players in good conditions and you receive the players in bad conditions.”
