Chelsea’s main outlet for goals, Diego Costa could miss the match against Manchester city on Saturday because of an FA Charge but Eliaquim Mangala has told his team mates that they cannot afford to focus on Costa’s loss to the league leaders.
“For me it doesn’t matter if Costa is playing or not,” Mangala told his club’s official website.
“The most important thing is to care about what we have to do. Whether it’s Costa who plays, Drogba or Loïc Rémy 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.
And the defender advised that City must force Chelsea into reacting to their own game plan.
“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.”
If Costa beats the FA charge and plays, Mangala says he is well prepared for the physical and mental jousting.
“Costa is a player that always tries to win a mental duel against his opponent.
“He always tries to unsettle his marker or other players and distract them from playing their normal game.
“He likes to provoke a reaction but personally, I don’t respond to that. When you know that it’s what he is looking for, it’s better to ignore him because he will then realise that what he is doing is pointless. If you react he wins,” Mangala concluded.