Jose Mourinho hailed Diego Costa's attitude in response to Aston Villa provocation and admitted Chelsea "depend" on him staying in the team.
Costa was handed a retrospective three-match ban for violent conduct against Arsenal last month, with the champions failing to win either of their Premier League games in his absence.
The Brazil-born Spain striker admitted he was culpable for his own poor start to the season – returning from the summer break overweight – and Mourinho revealed Costa had come up with a solution to the poor results on Friday.
The Blues boss declined to reveal Costa’s thoughts, merely laughing at recalling them, but perhaps it was simply to improve his own game after he scored one and forced another in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
“We need him,” Mourinho said.
“When we lose him we’re a bit in trouble because the team depends always on a striker like him, from a character, from a personality like him. So when we don’t have him, of course we miss him.
“Diego, without even being a leader in the dressing room – he doesn’t even speak English so well to be fluent and being a leader in the dressing room – but in a game…
“The way he plays, the way he gives his body to the cause – because his body is always very punished – is brilliant. The team needs that.”
Costa was a nuisance against Arsenal and troubled Villa, exposing their defensive lapses.
Villa also tried to provoke the striker, who has a marked disciplinary record, and Mourinho wants such instances to be highlighted and stamped out.
There was one moment late on when Costa wrestled on the floor with Ashley Westwood, neither allowing the other to stand up off the ball.
It appeared almost playful, but there was a kick from Costa after Westwood’s hand strayed, whether accidentally or on purpose, towards his shorts.
“I’m pleased he didn’t react,” Mourinho added.
“But I would be even happier if the people that find his hypothetical or real negative moments, were honest the other way and show and show and show.
“He will get (that) until the moment people point the finger at them and show the images, re-show the images and have the top pundits speaking about it.
“In this moment he is the bad guy and if you are telling me here that during the game this happened and you are anticipating already and saying already that in the next matches they are going to do the same, it is because it’s something easy to understand.
“If it’s easy to understand then show.”
Costa was prolific in the early part of last season, his first since his £32million arrival from Atletico Madrid, but has scored just three times this term.
Mourinho says the scoring comparisons are unfair.
“The team is not the same as last season,” he said.
“The team starts badly, the team concedes goals, the team is losing and then the opponents defend with everything.
“I don’t like to individualize, never. It is never fair.
“It is difficult for the team to be bad and for a striker to be brilliant.”
