Atletico handed Costa injury blow

Atletico Madrid have suffered a blow with the news striker Diego Costa is set for a spell out of action with a neck injury. Atleti are yet to put a timeframe on the 31-year-old’s absence after confirming Costa has suffered a slipped disc but he is set to miss their La Liga visit to Granada on November 23^rd.
A statement from the club read: “Medical staff have done some scans on Diego Costa to assess the neck problems he has been suffering from […]. Those tests have revealed that the striker is suffering from a slipped disc. It is unclear whether or not he will require surgery.”
The Spain international has endured a difficult start to the season. With just eight league starts and two goals to his name, the ex-Chelsea man continues to struggle to replicate the kind of form he demonstrated during his first spell at the club when Atleti won the La Liga title and Copa del Rey, alongside reaching the Champions League final.
As such, Costa’s absence should not pose too many problems for Atleti, who sit third in La Liga, one point behind city rivals Real and leaders Barcelona. Diego Simeone’s men are yet to lose at home this campaign and Los Colchoneros have been able to count on in-form Alvaro Morata; the former Juventus and Chelsea man has found the net in each of his last six games.
That said, the timing of Costa’s injury is far from ideal, with Los Rojiblancos facing a challenging week after the international break. The trip to the Nuevo Los Carmenes is sure to test their mettle against this season’s surprise package Granada, who are eighth.
Juventus lie in wait three days later, in what is shaping up to be a Champions League group decider in Turin, after which Atleti entertain reigning champions Barcelona at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Simeone may, therefore, be forced to rely on his younger forwards, the Spaniard Sergio Camello and Serbia’s Ivan Saponjic – neither of whom have featured this season – in order to plug the gap.