Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hit back at Sergio Ramos and Vicente del Bosque for their comments regarding the injuries to Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa.
Both Fabregas and Costa were unable to represent Spain during the international break due to injury, but were fit enough to face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, helping the Blues win 2-0 and remain top of the Premier League table.
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque both were outspoken with their comments, doubting the pair’s actual fitness during the break, but Mourinho has hit back at both, saying the former is ‘no doctor’.
“Since I’ve known Sergio Ramos he has been a fantastic football player, but he is not a doctor. He is not a doctor and I am the same. I do my job the best I can but I am not a doctor,” he told reporters.
“My doctor and the doctor of the Spanish national team, they had the scans and they decided that the player was not in the condition to play.
“I am nobody to go against it and I don’t think Sergio did a medicine Masters in the last couple of years to understand about it.
“[Vincent] Kompany didn’t play for Belgium against Wales and he played today [Saturday]. Has he a compromise with his national team? I think he has. He is the captain of Belgium.
“Did he, how do you say, ‘cheat’ by not playing against Wales to play today? I don’t think he did. So we all accept that he was injured.”
Mourinho then took another swipe at Del Bosque over the role of Costa for the Spanish national side.
“I trust my doctor 100 per cent. If Del Bosque doesn’t trust his doctor that is his problem, not my problem. I speak with my doctor and I believe in what my doctor tells me. Nothing else. No problem,” he said.
“Fabregas was in a doubtful situation, Diego no. Diego recovered totally from his problem with these two weeks that he had to rest and to improve his injury.
“Fabregas is different. Fabregas survived. Diego no, Diego now is in great condition.”