Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged the club not to sell top goalscorer Diego Costa.
The Dutchman, who scored 70 goals during a four-year stint at Stamford Bridge, has expressed concerns about how the Blues would cope with losing the striker amid interest from the Chinese Super League.
Reports suggest that interest from China has unsettled Costa, with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte leaving him out of his squad for the 3-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday.
"It's a difficult one. For Chelsea it's a very important one – he's the one scoring goals and leading the line," he told Sky Sports News.
"They played yesterday without him but I don't see them playing 10 games in a row without him and doing that.
"He's a very important player. I think he's the best striker in the league at this moment, with how he is playing."
Conte later insisted that Costa's omission was due to injury.
Mark Langshaw
