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Chelsea's Costa returns to 1st-team training after alleged bust-up

Tony O'Brien / Reuters

Diego Costa could be in contention to feature in Chelsea's weekend fixture against Hull City after training alongside his teammates Tuesday for the first time since suffering an alleged back injury last week.

(Courtesy: Chelsea)

The Spanish forward was omitted from manager Antonio Conte's squad list ahead of Chelsea's victory over Leicester City, and trained by himself the last two days.

However, reports suggest the injury is what sparked an apparent bust-up at the team's training ground amid speculation over a potential move to China.

Chinese Super League team Tianjin Quanjian was linked with a move for Costa that would have reportedly paid the 28-year-old forward £30 million per year.

According to Tianjin Quanjian's owner, a move for Costa collapsed when the Chinese Super League imposed a rule limiting the number of foreign players on each team.

Matt Law of the Telegraph reports that Costa's time with Chelsea is expected to be short-lived as the club explores its options before entertaining bids in the summer.

Law suggests Chelsea has already identified Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata as a long-term replacement for Costa once the summer transfer window opens.

Costa currently sits in a three-way tie with Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez for the Premier League scoring lead with 14 goals.

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