Diego Costa named in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad as Atletico Madrid move falls through

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Chelsea have named wantaway striker Diego Costa in their 25-man Premier League squad.

Costa is currently considered AWOL by Chelsea, having downed tools after he was told he was no longer in Antonio Conte’s future plans and returning to his hometown of Lagarto in Brazil.

The 28-year-old was expected to complete a move to former club Atletico Madrid before the Spanish summer transfer window closed on Friday night, but the deal is now seen as incredibly unlikely to go through on time.

And now Chelsea have decided to name the striker in their squad, although the chances of a reconciliation between Costa and Conte remain incredibly slim.

Earlier in the week a move to Atletico Madrid looked like it was only a matter of time as midfielder Koke said the whole club hoped that Costa would complete a return to Spain, although he admitted the situation was “complicated”.

Costa has been open about his desire to return to the club where he spent five seasons before moving to the Premier League, but Atletico’s transfer ban means he cannot register with them until January.

Nevertheless, Koke believes the 28-year-old would be a positive influence on the La Liga side.

“We all want Diego Costa to come, but the situation is complicated,” Koke told Cadena Ser.

“If Diego comes, he will help us and he already knows a lot of us at the club so for us it would be very exciting.”