Chelsea vs Bournemouth: Diego Costa is 'impulsive', making him a special case, admits Jose Mourinho

Mourinho has not said if the striker will start against Bournemouth this weekend

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been given two weeks to prove his worth as first-choice striker (Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho has admitted he has to man-manage Diego Costa differently to the rest of his Chelsea squad, because of the striker’s “impulsive” personality.

The Spain international caused controversy again recently, arguing with his manager during the 4-0 win at Maccabi Tel-Aviv and then furiously throwing a bib away when it became clear he would not be coming on during the 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.

Mourinho insisted yesterday that there was “no problem” but, ahead of Saturday's home game with Bournemouth, when asked whether Costa can be a “special case” acknowledged that could occasionally be true.

“I would say a bit, but not much,” the Portuguese said. “Little things. He can be more impulsive. Just a bit in a few details. But, in the end, rules are rules. Commitments are commitments. He’s the same. Tonight we meet to go to the hotel at 7.30pm. Because he’s Diego, he cannot report at 7.45pm. He has to be the same. He is just a good guy.”

Mourinho did not go into detail but it is understood the Chelsea manager feels the need to protect Costa from external criticism over his more abrasive antics, and has often praised him at such times to indulge what can be a sensitive personality. The manager did reveal, however, that he did not punish the 27-year-old for coming back to pre-season overweight.

“We don’t work that way. The way we work is to try and immediately recover from the mistake, and establish programmes internally to get him back into physical condition,” Mourinho said. “He did that with Carlos [Lalin, first-team fitness coach] and the gym programme. He was working in terms of controlling his food, also, with relation to weight. He was pushing himself really hard. Physically he is back to where he should be.”

Mourinho also said that he took the rare step of showing Eden Hazard the coaching staff’s written report on his display against Spurs because it was precisely the level of performance he wants from him on a regular basis.

“His performance was good in every aspect,” Mourinho said. “He got the feedback, even a written feedback because we analysed his performance in great detail, and I thought it was good for him to get it in a written document with graphics on every aspect. He knows how good he was. Hopefully he can build from now. The good is coming.”