Chelsea striker Diego Costa defends his "strong but noble" style of play

The Spanish striker says that he has never seriously injured an opposition player, as he gets ready to return from his three-match ban

Fair play: Costa says he has never seriously injured an opponent

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has defended his robust style of play, saying he is a 'strong but noble' player.

The Spain striker has recently come under fire for his bulldozing style of play, recently landed a three-match ban for a stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can.

However, the 26-year-old insists he doesn't have a nasty streak to his style of play, and that English football dictates a more physical approach.

"My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time," he told SportMagazine.

"If you check my records, you will find out that I’ve never caused a bad injury to any player. The bottom line is that sometimes the little things I do on the pitch provoke exaggerated reactions.

"But if you rewind a bit and go through what they did to me, you may have another point of view. I consider myself a player who fights and gives everything on the pitch. Those who know me and appreciate those values understand what I say.”

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Stamping his authority: Costa insists he doesn't have a nasty streak to his game

The 26-year-old also revealed how his Champions League heartbreak with Atletico Madrid has made his more determined to become a European champion at Stamford Bridge.

Costa was part of the Aleti side that conceded a last minute equaliser to Sergio Ramos and Real Madrid in the final last year, before going on to lose in stoppage time to their city rivals.

The Spanish international is determined to use the experience to help the Blueslaunch a bid to conquer Europe once again, starting with their upcoming last 16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

“I am going to be honest: I want to be a champion with Chelsea, either a Premier League champion or a Champions League winner.

"I presume that winning the Champions League must be an amazing experience. I reached the final of this beautiful tournament once, but I couldn’t win it.

Costa is likely to make his comeback from suspension in the French capital against PSG next Tuesday.