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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho intends to risk Diego Costa's fragile hamstrings by starting the striker against Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal this week. - Worrall: Talk of Twickenham takes Costa from spotlight Mourinho anticipates Spain will call upon the 32 million-pound summer signing from Atletico Madrid for their matches with Slovakia and Luxembourg next month, despite his belief that complete rest is needed to enable the forward to recover fully from his niggling problem. Costa has scored eight goals in six Premier League games and was only a substitute in Chelsea's opening 1-1 draw at home to Schalke in the Champions League -- a result which indicated the reliance of the Blues on their new star striker. "Diego starts,'' said Mourinho, who was speaking on the eve of the Group G clash at Estadio Jose Alvalade. "There is a risk, yes, but he plays. We assume the risk and he plays. Hopefully everything goes well and hopefully from Tuesday till Sunday he has enough period of time to be back again on track and to play against Arsenal [in the Premier League]. "It's an important game for us tomorrow, a difficult game and if I can play my best players and the team I think is the best team to try to get the best result, I'm not going to make any change. I don't rest people. I make decisions. I don't think about Arsenal -- I think about Sporting and I'm going to start with the team that I think is the best team.'' Mourinho does not expect Spain to respect his wish not to call up Costa for national service, even though he says the player is barely able to train. The Portuguese said: "I have the feeling that next week he goes to the national team. I have the feeling that in the national team they will not consider the fact that he is in trouble so tomorrow he plays and hopefully he plays Sunday again against Arsenal. But in this moment I don't think about Arsenal -- I think about Sporting. And Diego starts tomorrow.'' Loic Remy is the only like-for-like replacement for Costa in Chelsea's 20-man squad after Didier Drogba aggravated an ankle problem in training. "Drogba's going to be out for a couple of weeks,'' Mourinho added. "He had a problem in a training session in the ankle. Not possible to travel [to Lisbon] and I think not possible to recover for Sunday.'' Chelsea are set up to play with Costa as the attacking figurehead. Mourinho said: "The team had a pre-season with him. The team worked with him a lot of times. He's playing with us every match in the Premier League. So the team at this moment is more made to play with Diego.'' Remy has different attributes, but has Mourinho's confidence. "Remy's learning how to play with us,'' the Blues boss added. "His movement is good, his pace is good, he can get behind defenders. He's not bad in the air. I think he has some similarities with Diego and if he has to play, no problem.'' Mourinho, who worked at Sporting as assistant to coach Sir Bobby Robson for one-and-a-half seasons between 1992 and 1993, was charming to his hosts. He spoke in Portuguese -- last season at Atletico Madrid, the fluent Spanish speaker spoke only in English -- and recalled fondly his time at the club. "It was a fantastic time until the moment they sacked Mr Robson,'' Mourinho said. Sporting drew with Porto on Friday night, but Mourinho expects his hosts to play to win against the Blues and dismissed the favourites' tag. "I don't know the meaning of favourite in a football match,'' Mourinho added. "We will try to win, but to want, to desire and to achieve are two distinct things. If they stick to their identity it will be a great match and a great return of Sporting to the Champions League (at home for the first time since 2009).'' Ramires (groin) was the only other senior player not among the 20-man squad, with the Brazil midfielder likely out of Sunday's Premier League clash with Arsenal. Midfielder/defender Nathan Ake travelled as part of the group, as did goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney, with Mark Schwarzer ineligible in Champions League competition.
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