Costa injury woes worry Chelsea ahead of season start

The Blues will face Swansea in opening match; United to take on Spurs.

LONDON:

Chelsea kick off their Premier League title defence against Swansea on Saturday fretting that Diego Costa’s injury problems could hamper their bid to remain England’s pre-eminent force.

Read: Five questions ahead of new Premier League season

Costa’s 20 goals in 26 league appearances were crucial as Jose Mourinho’s side took an early grip on last season’s title race that they never relinquished.

But concerns about the Spain striker’s fitness became a recurring theme throughout the campaign and it frequently took the brilliance of Eden Hazard to make up for the side’s diminished attacking threat whenever Costa was absent.

And the sight of Costa limping out of a recent friendly with Barcelona prompted fresh concerns that the former Atletico Madrid star’s problems have not yet gone away.

Chelsea manager Mourinho has stuck by his policy of operating with a squad that includes just three strikers, with Radamel Falcao arriving on loan from Monaco to join Loic Remy as back-up to Costa after Didier Drogba moved to Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact.

Read: Mourinho signs new four-year Chelsea deal

The evidence of pre-season, however, has been that Chelsea’s attacking options appear under-powered compared to their main rivals and while Mourinho has not ruled out the possibility of Costa facing Swansea when the champions return to action at Stamford Bridge, the chances appear slim.

Mourinho’s team have failed to win any of their warm-up games in 90 minutes and meet Swansea after suffering successive 1-0 defeats, first to Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday and then at home to Fiorentina on Wednesday.

And while the usual caveats about friendly matches apply, Chelsea have looked alarmingly blunt in front of the goal, with Falcao showing few signs of returning to his best.

Other than Falcao, Asmir Begovic is the only other new arrival, brought in from Stoke to replace departed goalkeeper Petr Cech, although Mourinho is keen to bring in a left-back as back-up for Cesar Azpilicueta.

United launch scramble to usurp Chelsea

Manchester United open the new Premier League season at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday looking for signs that they are ready to mount a sustained assault on Chelsea’s title.

Last season’s equivalent fixture, a 3-0 home win on March 15, proved the belated catalyst for a run of form that ensured Louis van Gaal ended his first season as manager with United back in the Champions League places.

But with some £77 million having been spent on new players including Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger, United have set their sights a little higher.

Saturday’s lunchtime game at Old Trafford will give United’s fans a clearer idea of how their team will line up this season, with Rooney expected to lead the line as a lone striker in a 4-3-3 formation.

Tottenham finished fifth last term, six points below fourth-place United, and will hope to make a more convincing case for Champions League qualification despite a relatively quiet transfer window.  

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th,  2015.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.