Chelsea winger, Eden Hazard, has warned team-mate, Diego Costa to be calm and ignore provocative defenders trying to get him booked.
Costa has received three yellow cards in just six Premier League games, two of which were due to altercations with opposition players.
It is believed that opposition players will make efforts to provoke the Spaniard into lashing out as managers are fast learning that he can be wound-up easily.
Hazard knows the importance of the 25-year-old’s goals, and understands if Chelsea are to continue their march to the title – Costa must resist the urge to react.
He said: “We all know how he will react, he needs to be careful that he doesn’t get too many yellow cards. This is part of the game [opponents targeting him], everyone knows that. He needs to focus.
“He is a very good striker, one of the top three in the world right now. When he is confident, he scores and right now he is confident and in form.”
Costa is almost a certainty to face Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but is unlikely to be risked against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.
