Sporting News · Oct 5, 2016
Costa to start against Italy
Chelsea striker Diego Costa will start for Spain in Thursday's World Cup qualifying clash with Italy in Turin.
Costa was left out of Spain's Euro 2016 squad by former coach Vicente del Bosque, but returned to the starting XI as Julen Lopetegui's first World Cup qualifying campaign at the helm kicked off with an 8-0 demolition of Liechtenstein.
The Brazil-born striker scored two goals in that match and has done enough to keep hold of his place for this week's clash between two giants of European football.
"Tomorrow Diego Costa will play," Lopetegui told a news conference. "We decided we must go to our limit in a game like this.