Diego Costa left out of Spain squad for Euro 2016 qualifiers

Diego Costa left out of Spain squad

for Euro 2016 qualifiers

MADRID, AP:

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque yesterday left Diego Costa out of the squad for the team's last two qualifying matches for next year's European Championship.

Costa has a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards and was not eligible for the first game against Luxembourg on October 9.

Del Bosque said, "we have preferred not to include him" just for the second match against Ukraine.

"He's not playing badly," Del Bosque said of Costa, adding Spain would "count on him in the future, if everything goes normally".

Costa is also serving a three-match ban in England for violent conduct during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal after putting his hands in the face of defender Laurent Koscielny.

"I did not like what I saw," Del Bosque said of that incident. "I did not like what he (Costa) did, of course not."

With Andres Iniesta and Jorge "Koke" Resurreccion out injured, Del Bosque included Thiago Alcantara, Bruno Soriano, Inigo Martinez, Manuel "Nolito" Agudo, and Alvaro Morata in the squad.

Chelsea forward Pedro Rodriguez is included to bolster Spain's attack.

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas is also in the squad, alongside Manchester United's David De Gea and Sergio Rico of Sevilla.

Spain tops Group C and can clinch qualification with a win against Luxembourg.