Friday, 15th November, 2013
Diego Costa's Spain debut may be postponed due to injury, but coach Vicente del Bosque has hinted the forward is already part of a "long-term" plan.
With next year's World Cup already on the horizon, both Costa and Spain fans could perhaps interpret that idea as a potential selection for Brazil 2014.
It would come as little surprise given his form for Atletico Madrid and the wrangling that Spain's federation (RFEF) encountered to get Costa signed over from his native Brazil.
And while Del Bosque has previously made clear he will not give the Atletico forward any special treatment, the 62-year-old told a press conference today: "When someone is lost to injury, it is something that upsets you.
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"We had the idea of including Diego, which is a longer-term decision, not just for November. Hopefully we can accomplish that."
Costa was ruled out due to a leg injury, but Del Bosque, who today also announced his contract renewal until 2016, still has a near-full squad to choose from for the friendlies against Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Javi Martinez was believed to have picked up a knock in training, but Del Bosque added: "Things have been complicated by the condition of Javi Martinez, which upsets us a little bit, but hopefully nothing happens and he can play.
"In these 180 minutes all players want to play, and they will all participate. Here we have 23 players, and anyone can play. There is no first team and second team."
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