Atletico Madrid have confirmed Diego Costa will have an operation on his left foot in Brazil this week. The surgery will keep him out until February.
The Spanish club, who host the final of the Champions League next May, want the former Chelsea centre-forward back fit for the final stages of the competition and so have decided to accept losing him for almost three months in return for having him 100 per cent come the knockout stages in Europe.
Costa should travel to Brazil on Monday evening and he could be operated on as early as Wednesday after giving up on a plan of rest and recuperation to solve on-going pain and discomfort in his left foot.
The 30-year-old forward returned to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea in 2017 for £57.5m, having originally moved to Stamford Bridge for £32m in 2014. He has had an indifferent start back at his old club.
It was as if he had never been away when he scored and was sent off on his first home game back and he formed an impressive partnership with Antoine Griezmann in the second half of last season.