Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has denied there's had been a falling out between him and his star striker Diego Costa, insisting he had been left out with a back problem.
The Blues cruised to a 3-0 win at Leicester without the Spain international, who was absent after a reported bust-up. However Conte played it down, and revealed the 28-year-old has been struggling with an injury.
Conte said: "I think for the game I told the truth. I like to tell the truth, and that is Diego stopped training on Tuesday. He didn't train in the week because he wasn't fit.
"The truth is what I told you before, and we will see in the next week (about his fitness ahead of Hull)."
Costa has been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League, but Conte refused to acknowledge any rumours of a move away from Stamford Bridge.
"I don't know anything about this (Chinese offer)," he said. "I prefer to solve the problem in the changing room."
Gary Cahill praised Chelsea's character after the league leaders bounced back from defeat to Tottenham with a comfortable dismissal of the Foxes.
Conte's side saw their 13-game winning run come to an end last week, but two goals from Marcos Alonso and a Pedro header secured a comfortable win which moved them seven points clear.
"It was a very professional, solid performance on the back of Spurs game," Cahill told BT Sport 1. "That game should have no impact how we approach the rest of our games.
"That's how we should approach every game.
"We had to prove it (hunger). It's all about bouncing back.
"I was proud of the lads producing a performance like that. I thought it was very professional and solid and we deserved the win.
"We're not complacent at all. We showed that in our work rate and going to the very end.
"We need to keep the gap if we possibly can, produce performances like that and hopefully this is the start of another run."
