Team News: Chelsea remain unchanged for Middlesbrough trip

Diego Costa has been passed fit to start Chelsea's meeting with Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, as Antonio Conte names an unchanged side.

The division's top scorer picked up an injury while on international duty last weekend, but has successfully shaken off the knock in time to feature from the off in the North-East.

Costa will pair up with Eden Hazard, another doubt for today's game, and Pedro in attack in what will again be a 3-4-3 set-up for the visitors - a system that has helped the Blues to five league wins in succession, scoring 16 goals without reply in that time.

This afternoon's clash will mark another milestone for Hazard, meanwhile, as he makes his 150th Premier League appearance for Chelsea, while Nemanja Matic - alongside N'Golo Kante in the engine room - earns his 100th league cap.

In terms of the hosts, boss Aitor Karanka has made a couple of changes from the 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium a fortnight ago.

One of those is enforced, with full-back George Friend being replaced in the side by Fabio da Silva after picking up an injury in training this week, and further forward Gaston Ramirez is preferred to Stewart Downing.

Boro have lost their last five Prem games against today's opponents, failing to score in any of those outings, while the Blues - who will go top with another victory - could become the league's 10th side to win six in a row without shipping a goal.

Middlesbrough: Valdes, Barragan, Gibson, Chambers, Fabio, Clayton, Ramirez, Forshaw, De Roon, Traore, Negredo Subs: Guzan, Espinosa, Fischer, Nsue, Leadbitter, Downing, Rhodes

Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso, Pedro, Costa, Hazard Subs: Begovic, Ivanovic, Terry, Chalobah, Fabregas, Oscar, Batshuayi

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