Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expects 19-goal hero Diego Costa to miss the Blues’ crucial upcoming encounters with Manchester United and Arsenal, but he will not protect Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic, who are both suspension risks for the same fixtures.

He addressed Costa’s latest injury during the press conference prior to Sunday’s match with Queens Park Rangers, as reported by Chelsea’s official Twitter feed:

This means Costa is likely to miss matches against United, Arsenal and Leicester City, but he should be available to face Crystal Palace on May 3.

Mourinho confirmed Fabregas has sufficiently recovered from his recent nose injury to start. Interestingly, the Portuguese boss isn’t willing to rest the Spaniard or Matic, despite them both being one caution away from a two-game ban:

Should Cesc or Matic pick up a yellow card against QPR, they will miss the United and Arsenal games. At a crucial time of the season, Mourinho can ill afford to lose the engine room of his team.

Chelsea face a seemingly simple task to capture the Premier League trophy from their current position. They are seven points clear of Arsenal with a game in hand, having last lost in the division on New Year’s Day.

QPR are fighting for Premier League survival and are currently two points from safety; however, 17th-placed Hull City have an extra game and could stretch the gap to five. Manager Chris Ramsey has led QPR to four valuable points in their last two matches, thrashing West Bromwich Albion 4-1 and drawing 3-3 with Aston Villa to give them hope.

Mourinho is expecting a tough game, perhaps led by the home crowd’s inspiration:

He also believes Chelsea’s temperament and resiliency throughout the season defines their success:

The Blues are likely to start with former QPR striker Loic Remy in Costa’s place, adding an intriguing subplot to a fixture which could have huge consequences at both ends of the table. Costa’s repeated absences could force Chelsea into landing further goalscoring power next season, perhaps in the form of Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, as recently discussed by B/R UK’s Ryan Bailey and Matteo Bonetti:

QPR have netted seven in two matches, led by the clinical Charlie Austin, and he will be confident of posing a real threat to the champions elect.

Mourinho‘s men remain heavy favourites, but they will undoubtedly be on upset alert once kick-off arrives.

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Dirk Kuyt is to return to Feyenoord nine years after he left the Dutch club to join Liverpool, per the Guardian.

The versatile Dutchman turns 35 this summer, but he can still offer the Eredivisie side plenty—just as he did in over 200 games for Liverpool from 2006 to 2012.

How Liverpool could benefit from having a player like Kuyt in their squad now.

Kuyt’s departure from the club in 2012 was one in the line of many experienced players who left Anfield and arguably, three years on, are still yet to be replaced.

Arriving at the club as a £10 million centre-forward, Kuyt eventually found a place in Rafael Benitez’s side on the right of the three attackers behind the main striker, Fernando Torres.

His adaptation to the role wasn’t without frustrations, but Kuyt’s tireless play, tactical awareness and ability to arrive in the box to assist Torres proved invaluable to Liverpool.

Kuyt was the man for the big occasion and despite being much maligned among some supporters, his goalscoring record at the club was in fact admirable—only in his final season did he score less than 10 goals in a campaign. He twice hit 15. For context, Liverpool’s top goalscorers this season are Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling with 10.

When you think of the big games around 2007 to 2010, Kuyt features among them all and frequently hit winning goals, most often from the penalty spot. He had nerves of steel.

It was Kuyt’s penalty in the Champions League semi-final in 2007 that sent the Reds to Athens (he also scored the consolation against AC Milan in the final).

The next season he scored two dramatic penalties in the Merseyside derby, a season that saw him on target 11 times—seven of them in the Champions League, including against Inter Milan, Arsenal and Chelsea again.

He then hit another crucial winner in the Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege, two minutes before the end of extra-time. Two more late winners followed in the league, against Wigan Athletic and Manchester City. The next season saw a hat-trick against Manchester United.

His final and perhaps most memorable goal though was the superb equaliser against Cardiff City in his final season, in extra-time of the League Cup final. Trailing 2-1 at the time, Kuyt came off the bench to equalise and send the game to penalties. The victory was his first and only trophy at the club.

Dirk Kuyt. Back to Feyenoord. Liverpool miss his character. Never buckled. Teak tough. Great pen, this: https://t.co/TEjWa8LBpy

— Simon Hughes (@Simon_Hughes__) April 10, 2015

Ultimately, Kuyt, left the club seeking more first-team football, having been marginalised under Kenny Dalglish. The then-Liverpool boss shunned both Kuyt and another experienced and in-form winger, Maxi Rodriguez, to play new signing Jordan Henderson out of position on the right-hand side of a midfield four. Henderson struggled, while Kuyt and Maxi watched on frustrated.

Never did he complain, always instead offering 100 percent for the team whenever called upon either from the bench or up front, a position he’d now shown wasn’t his strongest in the Premier League.

Kuyt’s industry and effort made him the ideal player in Benitez’s side, allowing the attacking talents of Torres and Steven Gerrard to take the plaudits but offering crucial goals when required.

A banner at that League Cup final read “Dirk Kuyt: Working class hero”—a perfect tribute to the player.

As Aaron Cutler, writing for This Is Anfield when Kuyt departed Anfield, remarked: “That flag, in that instant, captured the fans sheer adoration for a man they nicknamed the Duracell Bunny. A cult figure, finally with a medal to show for his exemplary service.”

“What he lacked in technique he more than made up for with his incredible work-rate.”

Kuyt was a player who understood what it meant to play for Liverpool Football Club. One of a dying breed of footballer. 

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Ever the centre of controversy, Mario Balotelli has once again found himself in troubled waters.

Branded “pathetic” by BT Sport pundit Robbie Savage for missing Liverpool’s FA Cup clash vs. Blackburn Rovers, the Italian posted on his official Instagram account evidence suggesting an elevated temperature—justifying his absence from Brendan Rodgers’ 18-man squad.

There is an accepted, oft-mentioned character report which follows Balotelli: He is an arrogant, petulant, unpredictable and gifted-yet-lazy footballer whose countenance generally oozes indifference.

At every turn, the 24-year-old’s narrative has been directed down this alley (without regard for its protagonist). Confusingly enough, Balotelli has done little to dissuade the project’s verisimilitude—he may represent a willing participant more than a detractor.

Doing himself no favours in terms of widespread likability, Balotelli is no doubt making money from the likes of Puma through his “bad boy” reputation.

It is possible the Italian international has shrewdly taken on this ruffian persona for monetary gain; but the answer is likely less devious and more attributable to capitalising on public perception.

A lighting-rod, marmite footballer, Balotelli‘s name is used when days are slow and other talking points are found uninteresting. Driving his car into women’s prisons, playing with fireworks and throwing darts out of windows—the young forward’s hijinks have been chiefly juvenile, but demonising him because of his slothful playing style is hardly reason to besmirch.

Supporters, managers and those covering football love hard workers: Players like former Anfield striker Luis Suarez (who have supreme technical ability but run themselves ragged nonetheless) are what many want from their stars.

Balotelli was the worst possible “plan B” for Suarez last summer. Watching the Uruguayan run around the pitch like a starved lion for three-and-a-half seasons, then be served with a meandering Italian was never going to suffice.

Matt Lawton of the Daily Mail suggests Liverpool are not interested in keeping their misfit “No. 9” past this season. Balotelli has a contract until the 2017/18 season, so leaving this summer seems premature—but it could be a net positive.

Bought for £16 million, why Rodgers ever thought Balotelli was going to work in 2013/14’s system is beyond comprehension. Having watched the forward at Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan, the Reds should have known a pressing and high-octane style was not going to suit Balotelli, but they signed him regardless.

The point here is: Knowing he was not compatible with the Reds’ playing style, why purchase the Milan man in the first place? Shirt sales and publicity are possible solutions to the mystery—as household names around the globe tend to make clubs money on their arrival—but to concede football reasons existed for the move.

Balotelli struggling to find minutes (whether by injury, illness or Rodgers’ tactical intuition) at his new employers plays into the established narrative; as the jump from being on the bench to “an obvious malcontent” is not daunting.

Possibly the most frustrating element in Balotelli‘s current trajectory is his unquestioned talent. Clubs and managers suffer the tabloids, the antics and—to certain degrees—his temperament because they hope one day everything will click into place.

His brace eliminating Germany 2-1 in the Euro 2012 semi-finals, the then-21-year-old Italian appeared all but certain to become one of Europe’s great centre-forwards—in the mould of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Robert Lewandowski—but since that pinnacle summer, Balotelli‘s path has become unnecessarily cluttered.

Three years and three clubs later, where does the schismatic striker go now?

One can debate the modern-day stature of Liverpool, but for all intents and purposes the Anfield contingent are a massive club and Balotelli‘s chances at the “summit” are running thin.

Is he as ill-disciplined as we are lead to believe? No.

Is he as fractious as we are lead to believe? No.

But does that matter? Probably not.

What matters is perception. What matters are optics. What matters apparently is the way Balotelli celebrates, or not, after scoring.

The trivial banalities of stories make projecting Balotelli‘s future difficult. When talking heads take definitive stances on him, they know at least half the population will agree—creating situations where the striker cannot win, only vilifying him further.

In the right system, with the right manager and in the right head space, Balotelli can become a fantastic footballer—but that triumvirate coming to fruition before his celling collapses appears more unlikely by the passing day.

Balotelli once asked, via his t-shirt: “Why always me?”

Your answer, Mario: You are supremely talented, but cannot seem to get out of your own way; and in moments when you do what is required, we—the media—simply cannot restrain from whipping the whipping boy.

Follow @danieltiluk

*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase.com where not noted.

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Manchester City are “plotting a move” for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, according to Adrian Kajumba of the Mirror.

The Premier League champions are currently falling well short of expectations in fourth and look set to make a major squad investment during the summer. Kajumba states that Coutinho has been “added” to the club’s list of targets and would cost in the region of £35 million. The aforementioned report suggests an increase on Coutinho’s current £70,000-per-week wages could make the move a possibility.

Liverpool fans have enjoyed watching a rapidly maturing Coutinho this season. Despite being left out of Brendan Rodgers’ starting lineup in the early stages, he has asserted himself as a match-winner.

Stunning goals against Southampton and City helped lift Liverpool to within touching distance of the Champions League places by March. He also scored the winner against City at Anfield last season, so the Sky Blues know all about his quality.

Coutinho made the difference during Wednesday night’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn Rovers, powering home a drive inside the box to score the only goal of the game and send his team to Wembley. Although Rodgers has more explosive goalscorers at his disposal, Coutinho has a knack of popping up at the right time.

WhoScored.com summarised his terrific performance at Ewood Park:

Vice-captain Jordan Henderson commented on the goal:

City aren’t short of creative midfielders. David Silva’s form has been frustratingly inconsistent this campaign, something that seems to be catching throughout Manuel Pellegrini’s squad. John Cross and Darren Lewis of the Mirror believe City may use Samir Nasri as a makeweight in a deal to sign Juventus star Paul Pogba, and that would certainly leave room for another technical, clever attacking midfielder to join the club.

The link to Coutinho falls in place with this story in mind. He is a subtle player, someone who quietly works hard for the team and is key to spreading play in the final third. Liverpool lose their rhythm without him, while players such as Raheem Sterling have a tendency to drop out of a match if Coutinho isn’t dictating behind.

B/R UK’s Ryan Bailey and Sam Tighe previously discussed Coutinho’s importance to the team:

City’s major lure is likely to be Champions League football.

Liverpool cannot afford anymore slip-ups if they’re to finish inside the top four and quickly need to make up seven points on Pellegrini’s side. Manchester United are one point further ahead going into Sunday’s Manchester derby, so Liverpool are likely to be closer by the end of the next round of fixtures.

Coutinho has showed no public desire to leave. He doesn’t seem like he’d be the type of player who makes a fuss, but he is destined to eventually move on if Liverpool aren’t regularly featuring in the Champions League. The former Inter Milan youngster ranks among the Premier League’s more graceful stars and, intriguingly, has only just started to show what he is capable of.

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Manchester City have outlined Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson as “realistic targets” for the summer, which will see the club aim to land a higher quota of English players, as reported by Charles Sale and Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail.

The aforementioned article notes Wilshere‘s injury problems—the Gunners midfielder’s career has been blighted by such issues and he hasn’t played since November—could stop City pressing on. However, Henderson entering the final year of his Reds contract may make him a more suitable acquisition.

John Cross of the Mirror believes City “may struggle to lure” Wilshere away from north London. Both Cross and the Daily Mail assert the notion City are looking to increase their number of English players, with Joe Hart remaining the side’s only consistent starter this season.

One has to ask if Wilshere would be worth it for the champions. At 23 years old he’s well experienced at the top level. However, aside from the consistent injury problems, he’s yet to deliver on his potential. He isn’t a consistent goalscorer, nor does he regularly create goals.

Wilshere isn’t an imposing physical presence and doesn’t possess extreme pace. His quality shines when the ball is at his feet and he’s put together a run of games, but this has rarely happened in recent times.

Henderson is currently Liverpool’s vice-captain and likely to take the armband full-time when Steven Gerrard moves on at the end of the season. Brendan Rodgers will do everything he can to keep the hard-working midfielder. Henderson is a combative all-rounder, someone who will put a crunching tackle in on the halfway line before moving forward to support attacks. He is developing into an Anfield leader.

City will likely need to sell to fund any costly moves. Cross and Darren Lewis of the Mirror believe Samir Nasri—who reportedly reacted “badly” to recently being dropped—and Edin Dzeko may be offered to Juventus in exchange for Paul Pogba.

The former Manchester United man has the capacity to set any suitors back a world-record triple-figure sum, as previously discussed by B/R UK’s Ryan Bailey and Jonathan Johnson:

Pogba could provide a natural replacement to Yaya Toure, who is currently linked with a move to Inter Milan, as reported by Mokbel. The Frenchman wouldn’t help City fill their English quota and could severely impact the club’s battle against UEFA’s financial fair play rules.

B/R UK’s Wilson previously suggested it is time for Toure’s all-encompassing role to change, perhaps making room for a new midfield partner:

Big changes are certainly likely to arrive at City in the summer. The squad’s average age of just under 29 is currently the Premier League’s oldest, and it’s beginning to show. Manuel Pellegrini’s men are now battling for a place in the Champions League rather than the title, with too many players failing to impress.

Wilshere isn’t the answer, but Henderson and Pogba would be excellent captures for the club.

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Chelsea look to have beaten the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona to the signature of Fluminense forward Kenedy.

The 19-year-old—supposedly the “next Neymar“—is reportedly set for an €8 million (£5.8 million) move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, per Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard.

According to Johnson, Chelsea “look certain” to complete the deal for the highly rated striker. Kenedy‘s agent, former Blues midfielder Deco, is cited as a key component in tempting the youngster to Chelsea ahead of Barca, United, Inter Milan and Juventus.

It looks set to be something of a convoluted deal, with Globe Esporte (h/t GianlucaDiMarzio.com) reporting that Kenedy will be sold to an investment fund before he is moved on to Chelsea.

SportWitness indicates agent Giuliano Bertolucci as a key player—representative of Willian, Ramires and Oscar—working as an intermediary between Fluminense, Chelsea and the unnamed investment fund: 

Certainly Chelsea would seem like a good fit for Kenedy, given their core group of Brazilian players along with Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho.

Kenedy is still far from being the complete package, and he is some way off the level of Neymar, per B/R UK’s Guillem Balague, but he certainly has immense talent and potential:

The profile of those clubs reported to be interested in him is proof enough that he is tipped as being a future world star.

Johnson reports that, should Kenedy join Chelsea, he would likely be loaned out elsewhere for at least a season, an unsurprising move as an immediate first-team spot at Stamford Bridge is highly unlikely.

While he has performed well for Fluminense—and has been capped at under-17 and under-20 level by Brazil—he is thus far unproven in Europe, and would likely benefit from regular football away from title-chasing Chelsea.

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Liverpool are in search of a replacement for Mario Balotelli, and it seems they may have found their perfect target in Manchester United‘s Radamel Falcao. 

George Bellshaw of the Metro writes Brendan Rodgers will actively move for the Colombian superstar, who has failed to make an impact at Old Trafford this term. 

Bellshaw reports Liverpool will be made to battle with Italian superclubs Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan for the player’s services, but none of the interested parties will pay Monaco’s valuation of £36.5 million, instead forcing a loan deal. 

El Tigre has had one of his poorest seasons in top-flight football since signing for United at the start of the campaign, but deep inside him there must still be a predatory goalscorer waiting to escape. 

Falcao arrived in the northwest to much fanfare, having previously proved his magnificence at Porto and Atletico Madrid.

But a major knee injury derailed his career last season, forcing him to miss his country’s World Cup campaign on South American soil. 

Jonny Singer of the Mail Online says the striker wishes to stay at United next year, but with Louis van Gaal’s revolution at the club gathering pace, it is likely the player will be left behind as the team moves forward.

However, Anthony Chapman of the Express says Spanish outlets believe Falcao could be on his way to Real Madrid for £32 million, with Javier Hernandez returning to United after his loan with Los Blancos expires. 

The Colombian legend has almost become a figure of fun in recent times, with many believing LvG signed a shell of a footballer who once reigned supreme.

Football writer Tom Coast highlighted the physical difficulties the player has had in England:

Despite this, Falcao delivered a return for his country in the recent international break, scoring three times in two games, per Singer.

Singer also quoted the player speaking positively about his future, after his recent efforts for Colombia, reiterating his desire for more minutes on the pitch: 

I have faith about that [remaining at United] and when the season finishes I am going to sit down and think about my future and what is the best for my career. I think when I score it’s always important and that gives me confidence.

I said before, I need minutes, I need to play games in a row and here in the national team I have had the opportunity. I gave my best and I scored and I now return to Manchester with more confidence.

Juan Iturbe Heading For England?

In other news, Liverpool target Juan Iturbe might be preparing for a move to the Premier League after his agent confirmed he has an offer from an English team.

Jamie Sanderson of the Metro quotes Gustavo Mascardi speaking about his client and hinting the EPL could be Iturbe‘s next port of call: “Will he leave? There are very good proposals from England for him.”

The Roma No. 7 is one of the most highly rated youngsters in Italian football, with the 21-year-old midfielder dazzling for the Serie A team.

Iturbe is a talent with much potential, and his preference for playing behind the striker is well-known. But if he does land at Anfield next season, he will be adding weight to a position Rodgers already has numbers in, with Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling operating in this part of the pitch.

Iturbe would be a good long-term option for Liverpool, but Falcao would be an elaborate purchase for the Merseyside giants.

His lack of success at United would surely motivate him to succeed at Liverpool, but it is questionable he will even feature when Daniel Sturridge is fit and firing. He would also add major complications to the club’s wage bill.

Falcao has suffered at United due to the team’s slow build-up play—for most of the season—but Liverpool’s attack-minded squad would certainly benefit the striker.

But Rodgers’ key issues lie elsewhere, and the manager must reinvent his defence if he is to take Liverpool back up the EPL table. 

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