Diego Costa to miss Chelsea’s Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth after being booked at Crystal Palace
CHELSEA will be without Diego Costa on Boxing Day after the striker received his fifth booking of the season at Selhurst Park.
Referee John Moss showed Costa the yellow card for dissent after he was pulled up for a foul midway through the first half.
That means he will miss the Blues' Boxing Day clash at home to Bournemouth.
Costa racked up four bookings in the first six games of the Premier League season, but then incredibly - by his standards - went ten games without receiving another yellow card.
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If he had survived until December 31, his previous yellow cards would have been wiped out.
But as it is he will now be able to enjoy Christmas Day at home with his family.
And Twitter users were slightly suspicious that that was what he wanted the whole time.
Former referee Howard Webb revealed last month that players have asked him for bookings in order to sit out Boxing Day fixtures.
But Costa was at least remaining focused for today's game as he scored a fine glancing header to put Chelsea 1-0 up just before half time.