Can Chelsea Remain Unbeaten Without Diego Costa?

Diego Costa’s importance to Chelsea will be revealed in the coming week as the Blues contest three matches in eight days, including a showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Until joining Spain for Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg, the 26-year-old had tallied nine times for the Premier League outfit in just seven appearances while developing a lethal understanding with midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

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Diego Costa opens his Spain account after scoring against Luxembourg to make the score 3-0 to Spain. https://t.co/x5oWrTxBXC

— MUFASSIR. (@SimplyMufassir) October 12, 2014"

But the striker exacerbated a hamstring problem while on international duty, and after sitting out Saturday’s encounter at Crystal Palace, he missed Monday training ahead of Maribor’s Champions League visit, according to The Telegraph's Matt Law.

“Now it is an injury, not an ‘almost injury',” remarked a brooding Jose Mourinho, as per Martin Lipton of the Mirror. “It’s simple. He’s not training because he is not in the condition to do so. I have no idea how long he will be out.”

Costa had been carefully monitored as he began his first season at Chelsea following a summer switch from Atletico Madrid, but despite some clear discomfort, he nevertheless began the campaign at a torrid goalscoring pace.

Now he faces a spell on the sideline, and although Mourinho has options in the position, he would surely prefer to have his first-choice centre-forward available for such a critical stretch of the schedule.

Following the Tuesday appointment with Maribor, the manager will begin preparations for the weekend trip to United, and according to Law, he’s unlikely to have the Brazil-born marksman at his disposal for either match.

“I say Maribor, no chance. Man United, very little,” he told reporters on Monday.

Of course, he does have options at the position, and at Selhurst Park both Loic Remy and Didier Drogba saw time at the front of the Chelsea attack. Neither found the back of the net, but with goals coming from Oscar and Fabregas, the side’s ability to generate offence by committee was underlined.

It will surely be relied upon throughout the duration of Costa’s absence, which could also include next week’s League Cup visit to Shrewsbury Town.

Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

Chelsea progressed to the fourth round of the competition after edging Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge, and with a win and a draw in the Champions League group stage and just two points dropped from eight Premier League matches, they remain unbeaten in all competitions to start the season.

But can the streak continue without Costa, who has scored in six of the nine starts he has earned under Mourinho?

The Blues’ attacking depth is no doubt in for a test, and to that end Fabregas will be expected to continue in a vein of form that has seen him emerge as the Premier League’s best playmaker since moving back to England from Barcelona during the summer.

Eden Hazard, too, will have to pick up the slack. The Belgium man has blown hot and cold in 2014-15 and there could hardly be a better time than now to justify his statement, as per Alex Terrell of The Sun, that only five players in world football are currently better than he.

Until being ruled out through injury, Costa, by virtue of a purple patch that made other purple patches look pink, was able to overshadow any perceptible weakness in the Chelsea squad. Without him, a side that has heretofore appeared invincible might fall that much closer back to earth.

We’ll know a lot more about Mourinho’s men—their vulnerabilities and fortitude—just over a week from now.