Costa out for Chelsea trip to Palace
Chelsea will be without star striker Diego Costa for their trip to Crystal Palace.
Costa has been struggling with a hamstring injury in recent weeks but played both of Spain’s Euro 2016 qualifiers, much to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s annoyance.
Loic Remy comes into the starting XI in place of the injured Costa, while veteran striker Didier Drogba takes his place on the bench after overcoming an ankle problem.
John Terry wins his 500th cap as Chelsea captain as the league leaders aim for their seventh win in eight games.
There is also a surprise call-up for 17-year-old forward Dominic Solanke, who wins a place on the Chelsea bench.
Elsewhere, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been forced to assemble a makeshift back four as his side host Hull at the Emirates.
Hector Bellerin starts at right-back, while Nacho Monreal – usually a left-back – is called upon to partner Per Mertesacker in the heart of defence.
There is no place in the squad for Theo Walcott, who continued his comeback from a serious knee injury with a 45-minute appearance for Arsenal’s Under-21s on Friday.
Lukas Podolski, who this week demanded Wenger give him regular first-team football, is out with illness.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Kelly, Hangeland, Delaney, Ward, Bolasie, Jedinak, McArthur, Ledley, Puncheon, Campbell
Subs: Mariappa, Guedioura, Doyle, Zaha, Hennessey, Gayle, Chamakh.
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Remy
Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Salah, Mikel, Drogba, Solanke
Arsenal: Szczesny, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs, Flamini, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Alexis, Welbeck
Subs: Martinez, Ajayi, Coquelin, Arteta, Rosicky, Ramsey, Campbell
Hull: Harper, Chester, Dawson, Davies, Elmo, Robertson, Huddlestone, Livermore, Diame, Ben Arfa, Jelavic
Subs: Jakupovic, Rosenior, Bruce, Hernandez, Brady, Ramirez, Quinn
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.