Jose Mourinho has confirmed Diego Costa will start for Chelsea against Arsenal on Sunday, despite that meaning the injury-affected striker will play three games in eight days.
Mourinho had last week said Costa will only get over his persistent hamstring issue if he is rested for two weeks, specifically citing his preference that Spain rest the forward for next week's Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Despite that public statement, La Roja coach Vicente Del Bosque selected Costa for the matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg -- but Mourinho was unmoved, stating he was not going to rest the 25-year-old for Sunday's Premier League clash just so he was fit for international duty.
"My reaction that he's in the Spanish squad is no reaction," he told a pregame news conference on Thursday. "It's something I could already imagine. It's not a surprise for me.
"If he can play three matches in a week? I think it's too much, but he's going to do that. Why is he going to do that? Because I'm not going to save him to be in perfect condition for the national team.
"So, if he has a problem playing against Arsenal, he has a problem for Chelsea. This was a big week for us, three crucial matches, and I had to go with everybody in Lisbon. Against Arsenal, also an important match and the last one of this busy period, he plays."
Asked if going away for two weeks will affect Costa, Mourinho said he was unsure: "I don't know. I really don't know. He can play against Arsenal. He had this match in Lisbon and four days in between. He will be in OK condition to play against Arsenal.
"What happens after that is not my responsibility. Probably I will pay the consequences of that after the international period, but I think about Arsenal. After that I take two days off for myself and then wait for them to come back."
Mourinho also confirmed that Ramires and Didier Drogba are both out of Sunday's fixture, though the rest of his squad are fully fit for the trip to the Emirates Stadium.
"No chance [for the duo]," he added. "All others, good."