Diego Costa has been warned over his place in the Spain squad
Chelsea striker
Diego Costa has been warned he has to be playing regular football if he
is to have any hope of making Spain’s squad for next summer’s World Cup
finals in Russia.
The 28-year-old is out of the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge
at the moment after failing to get a summer transfer back to Atletico
Madrid, who remain keen to land him in January.
Atletico were under a transfer ban this summer, which complicated the
deal, though various reports suggest an agreement could now be close
for Costa
to move to the Spanish capital in the winter.
Until then, however, Costa continues to train away from Chelsea after
falling out with manager Antonio Conte, and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui
admits his situation is something of a concern.
Discussing his prospects with the national side, Lopetegui made it
clear he couldn’t currently consider him for selection due to his lack
of recent involvement on the pitch.
‘Costa’s summer has been unusual, strange, complicated – not just for
him but for his club,’ Lopetegui told beIN Sports. ‘He is still a
Chelsea player. It’s a complicated issue.
Julen Lopetegui admits Costa needs to be playing
‘Our hope is that he will resolve his situation as soon as possible
and that he can compete, train and play, which is what he likes doing
the most and what interests the national team.
‘It’s rather complicated that a guy who doesn’t train and doesn’t play can be with us, but that’s all it is.
‘He wasn’t ready to play with us (against Italy and Liechtenstein),
that was the reality and what we had to deal with. That is the reason
why he wasn’t with us.
‘He needs to train and play in order to be considered.’
Costa has been at Chelsea since 2014 and has shone for the club,
though he has been keen to return to Spain after failing to fully settle
in London off the pitch.
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