Chelsea's Diego Costa: Striker 'Did Not Pick Up An Injury on International Duty' Despite Jose Mourinho's Claims

Spain's National team doctor Juan Jose Garcia Cota has told IBTimes UK Diego Costa didn't picked an injury whilst international duty despite Jose Mourinho's accusations - and that the striker only had a very minor hassle in the groin while his recurrent hamstring injury looked over.

Costa started both Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia on 9 October and Luxembourg, three days later, and has since missed the two latest Chelsea victories against Crystal Palace and Maribor.

Having previously alerted Vicente Del Bosque about Costa's fitness concerns, Mourinho recently blamed Spain for his recent injury – and ironically saying he would be ready to play for Spain within a month.

"Costa went to the national team, he played two big matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg, and he came back in conditions where he's not available to play for his club. Our medical department will take great care of him and in mid-November he will be in perfect condition to be back for the national team."

However, Garcia Cota has told IBTimes UK that Costa had eventually a very minor hassle in his groin before the games with Spain and eventually returned to West London in the same condition.

Furthermore, the Spain's doctor added that the hamstring injury that had hit him since the beginning of the season looked already over, or at least, Costa only mentioned them "a minor thing in his groin"

"This time he didn't said anything about the hamstring. When Costa arrived to the International team he said to us that he had a minor hassle in the groin but nothing important. He probably had played with it before for Chelsea and he didn't complain anymore about it during the international duty. He indeed was treated by the phisios (like every other player) and didn't had any limitation to make the exercises," Garcia Cota said to IBTimes UK.

"I didn't even say it was an injury or a problem. It was a very minor hassle that is very common in every professional footballer. He didn't even asked for a treatment and he didn't required a scan or anything similar."

Costa was replaced in the 82 minutes of that match against Luxemburg after scoring his first goal for Spain.

But when questioned whether that hassles in the groin increased after playing the two games, Garcia Cota said: "No. He was replaced in the second half just because he had already score."

"Indeed, after the game, I sent a medical report to Chelsea, stating that he had arrived to the National Team with a very minor hassle in the groin but that he hadn't got anything new. Costa himself didn't give it any importance."

Costa suffered a hamstring injury at the end of last season and has since struggled with it.

Indeed, the Spaniard was withdrawn from Del Bosque's squad during the previous international break, playing in a friendly defeat to France but missing the next game with Macedonia.

"In the previous international break he had a minor injury in the hamstring. He played against France without any problem and just after the game he told us about a little hassle in the hamstring. We spoke about it with Del Bosque and decided to send him back to Chelsea just as a precaution, because his precedents. But apparently, according to the scan, he hasn't got anything".

Some people have suggested that Mourinho has been playing mind games with Costa fitness to have him fully fit for the game against Manchester United on Sunday

Garcia cota said has refused to make comments on that but Mourinho surprisingly claimed on Friday that Costa had a "small chance" of being fit for the trip to Old Trafford while confirmed that apart from the injury he has been in hospital this week with a stomach virus.