Antonio Conte throws Diego Costa's future into doubt after striker misses Real Madrid friendly

The Blues boss could not confirm after the Blues' 3-2 loss to Real Madrid whether the Spain international would remain at Stamford Bridge next season

The new Blues’ boss gave a brutally honest assessment of where his team are, and that Costa’s future is now shrouded in uncertainty now that Atletico Madrid have launched a £40million bid to take the striker back to Spain. 

Costa has cut an unhappy figure during Chelsea ’s pre-season tour, with a back injury once again keeping him on the sidelines as Real Madrid’s reserves handed out a lesson in the Michigan Stadium. 

And the belief in Madrid is that the 27-year-old wants to return to Atletico after two years at Stamford Bridge.
Conte admitted: “I can say today that Costa is a Chelsea player.



“He didn’t play in this game because of injury and if he solves this injury and I see him in training and he is in good shape, then it can be possible to see him in our next game against Milan.

“I speak for today and today Costa is a Chelsea player. Tomorrow, if you ask me if Costa will remain with us, I don’t know.”

Conte wants to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the Bridge, but Everton will resist his overtures unless Chelsea meet their £75million valuation.

“I don’t want to speak about players of other teams,” added Conte when Lukaku’s name was put to him.
Real Madrid 3-2 Chelsea 

“The transfer market is not the most important thing. The important thing is to build a team – a team that plays in good and bad situations and concentrates and works together.

“If one, two or three players don’t want to work without the ball then it is possible we will have another bad season.”

At least Conte knows that he faces a huge task after Zinedine Zidane’s second string gave Chelsea a chasing in front of 105,826 fans in the Michigan Stadium.

Only three of the players that started Madrid’s Champions League Final triumph over Atletico in Milan in May were on show.

But Real’s ressies were out of sight after 37 minutes thanks to two goals from Marcelo and a long-range missile from Mariano.

Edin Hazard came off the bench to score twice in the last 11 minutes and put some gloss on the scoreline.

Costa has scored 32 Premier League goals for the Blues in two seasons (Photo: Getty)

But, by then, Zidane has made nine changes to his makeshift team.
Conte wasn’t fooled by his team’s late show.
He admitted: “I know it’s not easy to play this game against another great club after only two days of rest and a flight of 90 minutes.

“But this game was very important for us, and it is now clear that we have to work together both with the ball and without ball.

“If we can’t work together when we haven’t got the ball then we risk another bad season.”