Costa cut from Spain squad
Diego Costa has been ruled out of Spain's upcoming matches against Ukraine and the Netherlands with a hamstring injury. The Chelsea striker was substituted with 15 minutes remaining during Sunday's 3-2 win at Hull and Spain on Tuesday announced that he would return to the English Premier League club for treatment during the international break.
"Diego Costa, left the premises of the Spanish Football Federation this morning after undergoing several tests with the medical services of the RFEF," a statement on Spain's official website read. "The striker has suffered a level 1 hamstring tear on the biceps femoris of the left thigh, which was previously already noted by the medical services of his club. The statement continued: "Diego Costa will return to Chelsea FC where he will undergo the corresponding medical treatment."
The 26-year-old scored his 20th goal of the season with a wonderful curling effort to put the Blues 2-0 up on Sunday, but he hobbled off before Loic Remy came off the bench to secure the win for Jose Mourinho's side. The Chelsea boss said afterwards that extra care has to be taken with his star striker when it comes to his hamstring.
"When a striker is playing, the team needs a goal to win the game and with 15 minutes to go the striker, a guy with a lot of experience of hamstring injuries, says 'it is over for me', then it is over for him," Mourinho said. "He has this problem. He tried to play the Champions League final for Atletico (Madrid, last season) and was injured again and again and again. He has this fragility.
"We know his hamstring is not a strong one. He works hard through the week to compensate the weakness he has there but the injury can come."
Vincente del Bosque's side face Ukraine on Friday in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying group C, where they currently sit second three points behind leaders Slovakia before taking on Netherlands in a friendly next Tuesday.