Conte: Costa committed to Chelsea

Antonio Conte is convinced erratic striker Diego Costa is committed to Chelsea as the club fight to win the Premier League title.

Talk of a move to China has been gathering momentum after Costa was left out of last week’s 3-0 victory over reigning champions Leicester City following a reported disagreement over a back injury.

Costa is back into the squad for Sunday’s clash against Hull City and as the Spain international prepares to return, Conte has no doubts about the 28-year-old.

“[I am] sure about Diego’s commitment, sure about his behaviour, sure about his will to fight for this team to try and win the title,” Conte said.

“For sure, having the right spirit, this unity in the team, is fundamental if you want to win something.

“It’s important to create this unity between the players, the staff, the club. In every team I’ve been manager, I’ve always tried to build this spirit. I’m proud we have created this in only five or six months. We are a team and, in this moment, every single player is [realising] his talent.”

Costa tops the Premier League goalscoring charts alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez with 14.