Diego Costa is on his way to becoming a cult hero at Stamford Bridge but the fiery Spanish striker, who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, is now set to miss Chelsea's biggest game of the season so far – the Blues' title showdown with Manchester City this weekend.
The forward has been charged with violent conduct after what appeared to be a stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can during the Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.
His case "is being fast-tracked by the FA and he is expected to be banned for three games following the incident", says the Daily Mail, which adds that the final verdict will be delivered on Friday.
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There is more bad news for Chelsea fans in the Daily Telegraph, which claims that midfield fulcrum Cesc Fabregas is also likely to miss the showdown at Stamford Bridge. "Fabregas will undergo further tests on his hamstring on Thursday, as Chelsea decide whether or not to appeal Costa's charge," says the paper.
The absence of Costa will rob Chelsea of the "on-field emblem" of their "over-my-dead-body spirit", writes David Hytner in The Guardian. "The Brazil-born Spain international has an addiction to confrontation and, with him, there can be no middle ground."
Without him, Jose Mourinho is likely to become the lead figure in Saturday's drama.
The Portuguese manager is already fuming over Sky Sports' coverage of Costa's "crimes" on Tuesday night and on Wednesday he was hit with a £25,000 fine for claiming his side were the subject of a media-driven "campaign" to undermine them and he is already close to full siege mentality.
Mourinho "will close ranks even more tightly in the build-up to Saturday's Premier League title showdown", says Hytner. There is little sign of the so-called 'Happy One' persona, which Mourinho chose to adopt on his return to Chelsea in 2013.
"His mood has been darker of late, more conspiratorial... When the going gets tough, Mourinho bares his teeth and, as with Costa, it is only about the winning for him."
