Chelsea might have had a good run to the title this season, but may familiar concerns prompt Jose Mourinho into a squad reshuffle this summer?

This is certainly the case for strikers Diego Costa and Loic Remy, whose goals don’t hide some concerning underlying problems.

Costa has hit 20 goals in 31 total appearances this term, while Remy has just seven goals in 27 overall appearances. These two strikers have had injury issues which have plagued them for much of their career.

Costa’s injury crises began in the summer of 2011.

He ruptured his cruciate ligament on July 27, keeping him out of action for 189 days. He had four spells out with injury during the 2013/2014 season. In the final game of Atletico Madrid’s season, away to Barcelona, he lasted only 16 minutes on the pitch as he strained his thigh muscle.

Atleti drew the game and won the Liga BBVA crown.

All efforts to get Costa fit for the Champions League final with Real Madrid proved a failure as the Brazil-born Spain forward lasted just eight minutes on the pitch and Diego Simeone’s side ended up losing their first final in 40 years 4-1.

Costa’s arrival at Stamford Bridge has seen him face a series of injuries on his troublesome hamstring.

His first was on October 12, 2014, while on international duty for Spain. He was injured in Chelsea’s hard-earned win away to Hull City on March 22. Jose Mourinho gambled on his fitness in the following game against Stoke City. The Spain forward came on as a substitute for Oscar but lasted only 10 minutes.

With the Blues having wrapped up the EPL title, Costa looks set to miss the rest of the season.

And for Remy, the man to stand-in for Costa, things have been similarly problematic; his first significant injury as a senior player was on December 11, 2008, while playing for OGC Nice. He was out for 35 days with knee problems. He injured his calf for the whole month of August 2013 as he had agreed a loan move to Newcastle United from Queens Park Rangers, and was also injured at the start of March 2014 and didn’t return to action until early April.

These two injury spells hindered the Frenchman from adding to his impressive tally of 14 goals in 26 EPL appearances for the Magpies.

Remy was ready to move from Loftus Road to greener pastures. His first move was aborted as he failed a medical with Liverpool towards the end of July after the Merseyside club activated his release clause. The Frenchman eventually became a Chelsea player on August 31.

His first spell on the sidelines for the Blues was on October 21 and he stayed out for 32 days with a groin problem. His next time in the treatment room would be on April 11, a week after he got the winner for Chelsea against Stoke with calf injury keeping him out for 22 days.

Within Remy’s injury spell, Costa had also been injured, leaving the Pensioners with no other striker than veteran Didier Drogba.

The 37-year-old Blues legend is past his peak and hasn’t been able to light up games as he did in his previous eight-year stint with Chelsea.

With Costa and Remy’s injury history highlighted, are Mourinho’s side taking a major gamble moving forward if they leave their faith in these two injury-prone hitmen?

Chelsea ought to face renewed competition for the defence of the league title next season with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool among others jostling to claim top honours.

In that event, will Chelsea stick with Costa and Remy?

What if more injury spells await them?

Mourinho can be thankful that Costa scored the bulk of his 19 EPL goals between August and October, as well as the early part of 2015. Had he not been able to hit the ground running early starting with his debut goal against Burnley in the season opener, his transfer to Stamford Bridge might have been wasteful.

It’s no doubt that both Remy and Costa are prolific strikers. Both have a combined total of 219 career goals but their niggling injuries can put a dent on their careers.

It would only be wise for Mourinho to delve into the transfer market and look for more potent strikers who don’t have much of a history with injuries.

The club will be celebrating now, and enjoying their title success, but the best sides are always looking forwards, rather than backwards.

Failure to recruit more reliable strikers might see Chelsea go through turbulent periods such as Liverpool have faced this season with Daniel Sturridge out and Arsenal during the Robin van Persie years.

Read it on: http://www.goal.com/en-ng/news/4082/editorial/2015/05/08/11524872/chelsea-must-reconsider-diego-costa-and-loic-remy-in-light

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popeferd:
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lalasticlala:


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