Chelsea striker returns for QPR clash

Diego Costa will return for Chelsea against QPR on Saturday and Jose Mourinho says he is powerless to prevent the striker going on international duty with Spain as his row with the forward's national team intensifies.

Mourinho is furious after Costa returned from international duty unfit, with the Spaniard missing Chelsea's last four games as a result.

And Mourinho has made a veiled dig at Spain, claiming he will put Costa on 'a programme' to protect his fitness, suggesting the national team do not.

"Diego is available. It is good for us," he said. "It is difficult only with one striker available. When you have two the situation improves.

"The only thing I can say is what everyone knows, which is the time he was having problems in Chelsea and the way we managed to keep him playing, and after the national team we lost him for four matches.

"He is again available but he needs to be again under special care. We are going to do that. That is all we can do, nothing else.

"Will I stop him playing for Spain? That's not my call and decision. I am supportive of players playing for their countries when players are in position to do it and when players in the national team follow the same kind of programme to recover from the problems they have.

"I am nobody to stand in the way of national teams. I cannot stop him to go."