Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will start Diego Costa in Tuesday night's Champions League last-16 first leg at Paris St Germain, but does not expect his prolific striker to be at his best following his disputed suspension.
The Brazil-born Spain striker was banned retrospectively for three matches for treading on Liverpool's Emre Can in the Capital One Cup semi-final victory, provoking Mourinho's ire.
Costa, who has 17 goals in 19 Premier League games this term, missed the matches with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton, but will come straight into the starting line-up at Parc des Princes as he bids for a first European goal for the Blues.
Mourinho said: "Yes, I start him. But I don't think it's good for a player to be three weeks or three matches without starting a game. So I don't think he's in the best of his condition."
Chelsea overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit to win the quarter-final tie between the sides last term on away goals, courtesy of Eden Hazard's penalty in Paris and Demba Ba's last-gasp decisive strike at Stamford Bridge.
David Luiz, who left Chelsea for PSG last summer in a £50million deal, believes Mourinho's side are stronger this term.
Mourinho said: "I'm not here to comment what opponents (say), even being David. I don't want to comment.
"We beat them, but we lost. And we lost in Paris and again knockout competition was decided in the last minute. A detail makes a difference.
"I'm not saying we won because we were better than Paris. We won because we scored a goal away and we didn't concede at home.
"Paris is a great team and is basically the same team as last season, with David Luiz. Same team, same coach, same dynamic, same profile.
"They have conditions to be better. When you have stability you can always improve.
"Chelsea is a different team. We have some different players, we change a little bit the profile of our game, the identity of our game.
"I don't want to say we are better or not better. I'm saying that we change the profile of our game, so I believe that tomorrow Parc des Princes will see a different Chelsea than last season."
Paris St Germain boss Laurent Blanc will urge his players to keep their composure amid provocation from Chelsea manager Mourinho at the Parc des Princes.
Mourinho, who has created a siege mentality at Chelsea in recent weeks after suggesting there is a "clear campaign" against his side, claimed victory in last season's quarter-final tie and will be aiming for a repeat.
"I know Jose Mourinho a bit and I know he'll raise the heat," said Blanc, speaking ahead of the first leg in Paris.
"So my players need to remain cool headed, not react and keep calm."
Blanc rebuked PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for celebrating his goal in last Saturday's draw with Caen by taking his shirt off.
The Swede explained that, in his role as a United Nations World Food Programme ambassador, he temporarily had 50 names of children tattooed and exposed them in celebration.
Blanc, whose side suffered numerous injuries in the contest, leaving them in danger of being severely depleted against Chelsea, said: "Imagine if he'd got another yellow card after 20 minutes? We may as well have abandoned the game in the 70th minute because we would have been down to seven men.
"It was a good initiative, but I don't know whether him taking his shirt off was good for us. I hope that tomorrow, if he scores, he doesn't take the shirt off because he will be booked again."
Serge Aurier, Yohan Cabaye and Lucas Moura are out of the Chelsea clash after sustaining injuries in the Ligue 1 draw with Caen, while Marquinhos, Maxwell, Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta are doubtful.
Source: PA
