Arsenal v Chelsea: Diego Costa set to miss Emirates Stadium clash due to hamstring injury

Chelsea have reportedly suffered a late blow after striker Diego Costa was ruled out for the Blues' top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal on Sunday, 26 April.

Jose Mourinho had indicated that he would make a late decision on whether to include the Spaniard for the trip to the Emirates Stadium, but it is understood that the forward has not recovered sufficiently to travel, according to the Daily Mail.

Costa suffered his latest injury in what is a string of hamstring injuries suffered by the striker throughout the season against Stoke City three weeks back. It was first believed that the former Atletico Madrid striker would miss the entire month of May.

But Mourinho had hinted ahead of their clash against Manchester United on 18 April that the striker was recovering well and could play a part in the game against the Gunners, a fixture that could either see Arsene Wenger's team close the gap on the league leaders or put Chelsea just one win away from lifting the Premier League trophy.

The 26-year-old striker has had a fantastic debut season with the Stamford Bridge outfit and was key to their blistering start to the season, but he has been blighted by hamstring injuries throughout the entire campaign and this is the fourth time that the same injury has kept him out.

Mourinho confirmed that, if not for the game against the north London club, the striker is surely set to return for the Blues' midweek clash against Leicester City.

Apart from Costa, the west London club are also without Loic Remy, who has also failed to recover from a calf injury that has kept him out of the last three games. That leaves Didier Drogba as the only fit striker in the squad.

Mourinho has had to call up youth team striker Dominic Solanke, who has scored 35 goals for the Chelsea youth teams this season to deputise for the 37-year-old former Ivory Coast international.