Diego Costa Set to Start Against Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal Confirms Jose Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that striker Diego Costa is set to play two games in a week despite struggling with a hamstring issue.

Earlier in the month the Blues boss had revealed that the Spain striker cannot play more than one game a week as he needs time to rest and recover from the niggling hamstring.

But he has now admitted that Diego will start their crucial Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday evening, and hopes he will have sufficient time to recover to take the field against Arsenal on Sunday.

"Diego starts. There is a risk, yes, but he plays. We assume the risk and he plays. Hopefully everything goes well and hopefully from Tuesday till Sunday he has enough period of time to be back again on track and to play against Arsenal [in the Premier League]," Mourinho said, as quoted on talkSPORT.

Mourinho understands that it is an important game against the Portuguese club and following their draw against Schalke on match day 1, they will look to get all three points this time around.

He also revealed that he is not thinking about Arsenal at the moment, and feels that the team's style of play depends on the presence of the in-form striker.

"It's an important game for us tomorrow, a difficult game and if I can play my best players and the team I think is the best team to try to get the best result, I'm not going to make any change."

"I don't rest people. I make decisions. I don't think about Arsenal - I think about Sporting and I'm going to start with the team that I think is the best team," the former Real Madrid boss added.

"Diego is playing with us every match in the Premier League, the team has worked with him a lot of times. So the team at this moment is more made to play with Diego," the Blues boss explained.