Chelsea forward Willian admits Diego Costa will be missed but insists club will move on with summer recruits to aid title defence
Costa will complete move back to Spain after three years at Stamford Bridge while the champions have also lost John Terry and Nemanja Matic
CHELSEA star Willian claims Diego Costa will be missed but insists the club will move on from the striker’s return to Atletico Madrid.
Costa was told by Blues boss Antonio Conte he had no future at Stamford Bridge and was then stuck in the middle of a summer transfer stand-off with the Premier League champions and his former club.
Costa is expected to complete his move back to Atletico this weekend after three years in London.
However, the Brazil-born Spanish international will have to wait until January to make his second debut for Los Rojiblancos due to their transfer embargo.
And with Nemanja Matic joining Manchester United and John Terry leaving after 19 years in West London, Willian admits it’s been difficult to see big personalities depart.
Willian told Sky Sports: “These players are great players, we miss these players, but Chelsea always try to bring players with quality.”
“I think the players that arrive have the quality to play here and the squad and the team are still strong. And we have to push till the end of the season.
“It is difficult to talk about that because of course when you lose players like that, it is bad. But we have great players here and we have to be happy if you are here, or in Manchester or Madrid.
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“You have to try and always play the best football on the pitch.”
But the 29-year-old is adamant new boys Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater, Antonio Rudiger and Davide Zappacosta will aid the defence of the title.
He added: “It is the same, nothing changes. Of course the players change, but the way we play, nothing changes, we always train in the same way, we always have a plan to come to the game, nothing changes.
“We have to look forward. There are more games coming and we have to be ready.”
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