Diego Costa: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says speculation is over

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said he was happy to see the rumours about Diego Costa come to an end after his goal in the 2-0 win over Hull City.

The Spain striker missed the 3-0 win at Leicester, citing a back injury after a disagreement with a coach, amid reports of Chinese Super League interest.

However, he scored the opener on Sunday as the Blues went eight points clear.

"I am pleased for him and for the fans and club. Today finished all types of speculation," Conte told BBC Sport.

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The Italian had been consistently questioned about Costa's future in the aftermath of the Leicester game and during the week. He repeatedly insisted the striker had told the club he could not train in the build-up to the Foxes game because of a back problem, and also denied any bid from a Chinese club.

"In this situation I told always the truth," Conte added. "I am happy for him and to finish this speculation. He played and played very well.

"A lot of people asked me about his form, his attitude, and I said I took the best decision for the team. I think I made the best decision after this performance."

Diego Costa is now the joint top scorer in the Premier League with Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez

Costa's celebration of his 15th Premier League goal of the season involved moving his hands to imitate speaking, which may have been aimed at the media for discussing the reasons for his absence.

Conte said: "Honestly, I was very happy to see his celebration because I was celebrating the goal on the bench. The most important thing was he scored."

Defender Gary Cahill, who scored the Blues' second goal, said: "He is delighted to come back. There has been a lot of talk.

"If he misses one game you are hearing about all the different stories. It gets a bit tiring and the best way to respond is to get a goal. We are delighted to have him back in the team."