Report: Chelsea players urged Costa to apologise for Conte row

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been urged to apologise to club manager Antonio Conte by his teammates, including John Terry and Cesc Fabregas, following an argument this week spurred by big-money interest from China, reports Matt Law of the Telegraph.

The manager dropped the Spanish striker from his squad for a Saturday fixture against Leicester City after a widely reported clash between Costa and fitness coach Julio Tous over an apparent back injury.

Conte also reportedly told Costa to "go to China" when the argument got heated, referring to a £30-million-per-year offer from a Chinese club. Costa has been training separately for the last three days.

Fabregas, Terry, and other Chelsea players are asking Costa to apologise for the row, and to delay consideration of a potential move - whether to China or otherwise - until the summer, after the Blues' title hunt comes to an end, reports Law.

Related: 3 ways Chelsea can line up without Diego Costa

Costa, who has two-and-a-half years remaining on his current Chelsea contract, would not be the first Chelsea player to move to China, as Oscar and Ramires left the Blues on big-money deals.

It seems the Brazil-born forward has taken heed of his teammates' advice, posting a message and photo of support on his Instagram which was instantly "liked" by Terry and Fabregas.