Diego Costa has been an important figure in Chelsea’s attack this season. The Spain international is the leading scorer both for his club and in the Premier League with 13 goals, a goal better that what he managed in the whole of last season.
The former Atletico Madrid forward together Belgian striker Eden Hazard has formed a formidable partnership and they over 20 goals between them this season.
Costa’s goals has been instrumental in Chelsea’s foray to the summit of the league standings as well as seven points gap. However, the attacker will miss Chelsea’s game against Bournemouth on boxing day.
Costa received his fifth yellow card of the season against Crystal Palace over the weekend and will not be available, paving the way for the possibility, if any, of Michy Batshuyi starting in his stead.
Costa has been on four yellow cards, since the fifth league of the season and receiving his fifth card in the 17th league game showed he has inculcated discipline into his game, unlike his previous seasons.
Batshuayi is yet to start a Premier League game for the Blues since joining from Marseille for £33.r million this summer. Of course the forms of Hazard and Costa will push any other striker down the pecking order. Batshuayi has his own quality, but it is obvious Antonio Conte prefers the aforementioned two to lead his attack.
He showed a glimpse of that quality when he scored three goals in two matches in August. He has made 12 appearances for Chelsea most which has been as a substitute. But he may be given the opportunity to start against Bournemouth, which he is expected to take good advantage of.