With them needing a goal to beat lowly Hull City, the last thing any Chelsea fan would have wanted to see is their talismanic Diego Costa limping off the pitch.

His hamstring problems have been well documented. Mourinho claims it is something he has had an issue with since his ill-fated attempt at playing in the Champions League final.

Diego Costa now seems destined to miss Spain’s fixtures in the upcoming international break and there is a suggestion he may not be available for his club side’s next game.

Should their top scorer be unavailable for part of Chelsea’s march towards the title, is Loic Remy good enough to fill the void?

His performance in Humberside, would certainly allude to the fact that the former Newcastle man is ready to be the main man at Stamford Bridge. His manager said to him that he needed to inject some quality into the final third. His finish for the winner, showed he had listened pertinently to Mourinho.

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The Frenchman has struggled to make an impact so far at Stamford Bridge, he has had very limited time to do so. His record at Newcastle and QPR meant it was a risk free acquisition for the ‘Special One.’ He was obtaining a player he knew suited the rigours of the English game and one who seemed to score goals in struggling sides, let alone ones going for the title.

Although his opportunities have been limited, he has scored goals at a good ratio. Better than a goal every 180 minutes.  Only three times has the 28-year-old started for the Blues, so his impact from the bench is even more impressive.

The manager has pointed to how good the striker’s attitude has been, in what must be his most difficult season in English football to date. From being a central figure, to being a minor player on the peripheries.

Mourinho highlighted Remy’s importance in his post-match interview, suggesting he owes the striker. Very few would argue that he should be starting over the brilliant Costa, but his game time so far in west London has been negligible at best.

The main thing that suggests how good of a signing Remy has been for Chelsea, is the fact that every club chasing them would be greatly improved if he was in their squad instead.

If Jose does believe he owes Remy more game time than he has been able to offer him, Costa’s injury may, inadvertently, give him the perfect opportunity to repay the debt to the Frenchman.

With fixtures against sides Chelsea will be expecting to beat, Remy may see this is as a perfect opportunity to really contribute to his new side winning the big trophy come May, or earlier.

Matches are won by XIs but titles are won by squads. As Chelsea saunter towards their first title in Mourinho’s second reign, the strength of the squad may prove key.

Remy has consistently proved himself to be an able deputy to the main act. The perfect understudy, he now may have his chance to be the leading man.

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