Diego Costa shrugs off injury for Middlesbrough trip

Chelsea almost has a clean bill of health for Sunday's match against Middlesbrough on Teesside, with Diego Costa the most notable inclusion after his recent Spain absence.

The cantankerous attacker was unavailable for La Roja's World Cup qualifier against Macedonia and friendly with England during the international break for what was initially attributed to muscle fatigue and a left groin injury.

Antonio Conte has vowed to be patient with returning Kurt Zouma to first-team matters, however, after he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture back in March. The French youngster managed his first full match since that major setback in the Under-23's penalty shootout defeat of Oxford United in the Checktrade Trophy on Nov. 8.

A single point separates Chelsea from Premier League leader Liverpool before the weekend kicks off. The Blues follow Sunday's Middlesbrough tilt by hosting Tottenham Hotspur on Nov. 26 before making a trip to Manchester City on Dec. 3.