Antonio Conte has requested the Chelsea supporters to be with Diego Costa. The striker missed Chelsea’s trip to Leicester City.
Antonio Conte’s side defeated defending champions Leicester City 3-0 in the last Premier League match. Conte didn’t include Costa in the matchday squad after the striker had a fall out with the manager regarding fitness issues and a grand offer from Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian.
Costa was seen training alone at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground but could return to the starting lineup in the next match today after making amends with the Italian boss.
Conte said, “Our fans are really important, always. They push a lot when we play at home. They push a lot when we play away. And, for us, for me, they are the 12th player on the pitch.
“I hope they continue in this way, to push a lot for our team, my players, in every moment of the game. They are a really important part for us to try and win and try and continue to fight for the title
“Every time Diego played for Chelsea, he always put all himself into it for this shirt, for this club. This is the most important thing. I know this and I’m pleased for this.
“For this reason, I’m sure on Sunday that, if Diego starts the game, he’ll put all himself into it for this club, the shirt and the fans, and do everything he can to win the game.
“I can put my hands in the fire. In Italy, if you put your hands in the fire, it means you are certain 100%. I thought the same example was good in English. We can learn. It means you trust 100% the situation.”
