Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala has said that the absence of Chelsea striker Diego Costa will not matter as the defending Premier League champions remain focused on winning all three points when their respective teams play tomorrow.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men currently lie second, five points behind Chelsea, who have been significantly boosted by the addition of Costa at the start of the current season.
The Spain international has scored a league-leading 17 goals this season, but could be missing from Jose Mourinho’s line-up when they face Manchester City if the FA retrospectively ban him for his stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can during their League Cup semi-final tie on Tuesday.
However, Mangala believes the absence of the 26-year-old will not change their objectives ahead of their match as they look to close the gap on the table toppers.
“For me it doesn’t matter if Costa is playing or not”, the Frenchman told the club site.
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“The most important thing is to care about what we have to do. Whether it’s Costa who plays, [Didier] Drogba or Loic Remy it’s the same thing for me.
“We need to beat them. No matter who is playing on the day, our target is to win that game.”
The 23-year-old summer arrival from Portuguese outfit FC Porto further added that the Citizens will need to impose their game on the Pensioners if they are to take away a positive result from Stamford Bridge tomorrow.
“So, on a personal point of view, I always focus on what we have to do and it’s up to us to impose our game if we want to win.”
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