Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will reportedly refuse to hold clear-the-air talks with striker Diego Costa amid speculation that he is trying to engineer a move away from the club.
Costa is understood to have clashed with Conte and fitness staff over pain in his back last week, and was subsequently left out of the side for Saturday's 3-0 victory over Leicester City in the Premier League.
The club have claimed that Costa's back injury was the reason for his absence from the squad, but numerous reports suggest that the 28-year-old has been unsettled by a lucrative offer from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian.
Costa spent Sunday and Monday training alone while the rest of the first-team squad enjoyed two days off, with Conte expected to assess the striker's fitness when they return on Tuesday.
However, The Guardian reports that Conte will restrict his judgement to Costa's performance on the training ground and has no plans to hold peace talks with the wantaway Spain international.
Chelsea are determined to keep hold of the Premier League's joint-top goalscorer, who still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract, and will resist any overtures from China this month.
However, the report also states that plans to offer the player a new contract have now been put on hold, with a summer exit expected.
Barney Corkhill
