Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has advised Diego Costa not to pick up unnecessary yellow cards in order to avoid a ban in the near future.
The Spaniard has played a key role with his goals in Chelsea’s good start to the season, but his disciplinary issues have also come to the fore with three yellow cards already accumulated in four Premier League games.
A player receives a one-match ban if he picks up five yellow cards before the year is out, and with Costa walking the tightrope early in the campaign, Conte has addressed the situation.
The Chelsea boss stressed that he is not too worried about the situation at the moment and is keen to use Costa’s passionate nature in a constructive manner on the pitch.
However, he also feels the striker needs to be more careful while on the pitch, and avoid picking up unnecessary cautions as he is already in a tight place this season.
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The Chelsea manager said in a press conference: “He has three yellow cards already, two more is a ban, but I’m not worried about this.
“He’s growing in this situation; in the last game he showed a great attitude, great behaviour despite a difficult situation for him.
“We all know he’s a passionate man, I want him to put his passion on the football and he’s doing it.
“I think that Diego knows [he’s risking a ban]; don’t take a yellow for a strange situation, only for necessity.
“For necessity [that’s ok].”
