After being substituted in the first half of Atlético Madrid's La Liga win over Barcelona with a hamstring strain, Diego Costa broke down in tears on the bench. He looked like a man who knew he was going to miss the Champions League final.
Diego Costa and Arda Turan could still be fit for Champions League final
Despite Diego Costa and Arda Turan picking up injuries against Barcelona on the weekend, Atlético Madrid remain hopeful they could still play in the Champions League final.
David Ramos
However, Atléti coach Diego Simeone has revealed that there's still hope the Spanish international -- and his Turkish teammate Arda Turan who also limped off against Barça -- could make the weekend's clash with cross-town rivals Real Madrid. The Argentine told a press conference:
”This is only the start of the week and there are still a few days to go until the final. We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves and say anything -- I think it’s far too early to do something like that ahead of such an important game.
“Having said that, we need all of our players in the best conditions possible. We’re only concerned about ourselves. We will wait and see how Diego and Arda progress - we’ll assess them again at the end of the week and consider what alternatives are open to us if they fail to recover.”
Certainly, without two of their regular first-teamers Atléti’s task would be a lot harder. Costa has scored a remarkable 27 goals in 35 league games this season, and is unsurprisingly the club’s top scorer. Arda hasn’t been quite as vital, but his tireless industry on the flank makes him a good option for big games. Let’s hope they both defy the odds to play, as the final would be just a little less special without them.
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