Chelsea FC News: Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Title Talk, Antonio Conte

There’s still a few more days of yawn-inducing international break left, so we’ll take news wherever we can find it until Chelsea FC takes on Middlesborough this Sunday. The big story, and yet another shining example of why pretty much everybody hates international breaks, is the Diego Costa injury.

Now potentially there’s a fitness crisis for Antonio Conte to manage, and it involves another one of the team’s most important players- Eden Hazard. Writes ESPN FC:

Having scored in Sunday night’s 8-1 demolition of Estonia, Belgium captain Hazard asked to be replaced with 17 minutes remaining of the World Cup qualifier. Hazard, 25, came off following a challenge by Gert Kams in which the Estonia defender appeared to tread heavily on his ankle. Although the substitution appeared precautionary, Hazard will likely find himself on the Chelsea doctor’s treatment table when he returns to Stamford Bridge.

-Chelsea FC are one of five teams currently in serious Premier League title contention. The other four are Liverpool (who we covered in detail here), Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. How and why have the Blues propelled themselves up from 10th last year into title contention this year?