Chelsea vs Stoke City team news: Diego Costa on the bench as Loic Remy starts for the Blues with Jose Mourinho making three changes

Chelsea striker not fit enough to make starting XI

Diego Costa is replaced by Loic Remy (GETTY IMAGES)

Chelsea star Diego Costa will start from the bench after not recovering in time to face Stoke City.

The striker, who has 19 Premier League goals this season, had to pull out of the Spain squad because of hamstring injury but has not been deemed fit enough to start at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will turn to Loic Remy to lead the line after he scored the winning goal coming on as a substitute against Hull a couple of weeks ago.

LIVE: Follow all the action from Stamford Bridge as it happens

Mourinho makes three changes from that team, with Cesar Azpilicueta, in for Filipe, Luis at left-back, and Oscar in for Ramires the other chang

For the visitors, Mark Hughes also makes three changes with Phil Wollscheid in at the back and Glenn Whelan and Charlie Adam coming in to stiffen up the midfield.

Erik Pieters, Marko Arnautovic and Peter Crouch drop to the bench.

LINE-UPS:

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Remy

Subs: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Ramires, Cuadrado, Drogba, Diego Costa.

Stoke City: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Wilson, Ireland, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam, Walters, Diouf.

Subs: Butland, Bardsley, Pieters, Muniesa, Arnautovic, Sidwell, Crouch.