Chelsea boss Antonio Conte denied he dropped Diego Costa for victory at Leicester City.

Following reports this week that Costa had a disagreement with the Chelsea boss and his coaching staff amid rumours of a big-money offer from a Chinese Super League club, the 28-year-old was left out of the squad on Saturday evening.

Conte played down his top scorer's omission before kick-off at the King Power Stadium, saying he had a back injury, and he insisted that was the truth in his post-match press conference, where he also called talk of an offer from China "speculation".

Asked if Costa still had a future at Chelsea, Conte replied: "Why not?

"This is the truth. On Tuesday Diego stopped training because he felt a pain in his back and from that moment he doesn't train again this week. And for this reason today he wasn't available - for the starting XI or the bench or the squad. This is the reason, this is the truth.

"I think there has been a lot of speculation about this topic. If there is a problem, and I repeat if, with the players then in my career I prefer to sort the problem in the changing room, not outside and not in press conference. But I repeat - if. I have told the truth."

Earlier this month Costa was linked with a move to the Chinese Super League, with the accompanying astronomical wages. It was rumoured Tianjin Quanjian were prepared to bid £80million for the Spain international.

"I don't know anything about this. The club don't talk to me about this so it can be only speculation," Conte added.