Diego Costa wanted to be substituted with 20 minutes remaining.
There was no real reason why.
Only that maybe IF he received a yellow card, it would have seen him suspended from next week’s clash against Manchester United.
However, Antonio Conte has made it clear to Diego Costa that he must remember he has a big responsibility to the squad after the Italian manager rejected his request to be substituted during Saturday’s 3-0 win over Leicester.
‘If I can I retain Diego until the end of the game I will,’ Conte explained after refusing to grant Costa’s request.
‘He must understand this. For the team he is a player with great personality and if i can maintain him to the end of every game I will.
‘I know today we risked it. If he took a yellow card he misses the game against Man United.
‘But for me today’s is the most important game than the other games.
‘Now we are beginning to think to the next game.’
‘I kept Costa on until the end of the game because he is an important player for us.
‘He has a good personality and he transfers that passion. We need that passion every moment of the game though I knew it was a risk because he if he took another yellow card, he misses the next match.’
‘I decide every substitution, me. Always I take the responsibility in a positive or negative situation.’
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