Mourinho is worried that Costa's form will have slumped after stamping ban
The Chelsea manager will throw his 17-goal top scorer - yet to net for his new club in Europe this season - straight into the fray tonight against Paris St Germain here in France.
Costa, banned for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can in an FA verdict that both club and player fiercely contested last month, will return in the last-16 tie at the Parc Des Prices.
"I will start Diego - but a long rest is not good for him," said Mourinho. "I don't think it's good for Diego or any player. A little rest is welcome for everyone, a big rest doesn't make good new for players. So we are not going to see the best Diego.
"I hope I'm wrong, but probably he will need this game to try to get himself right. We organised a game three or four days ago with the kids for him to compete. We tried to replicate a competitive game for him, but it's different.
"But I know that he has a hunger to play, a big appetite to play and Champions League scenario is a scenario that every player enjoys."
Mourinho will also have key midfielder Cesc Fabregas back after a hamstring injury tonight - but he warned that just because his team beat PSG in the quarter-finals last year, it does not follow that a win is inevitable this time round.
We beat them but we lost in Paris. It was a knockout tie that was decided in the last minute, a small detail making the difference.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho said: "We beat them but we lost in Paris. It was a knockout tie that was decided in the last minute, a small detail making the difference.
"I'm not saying we won because we were better than Paris. We won because we scored a goal away and didn't concede at home. "Paris are a great team, basically the same team as last season, with the addition of David Luiz. The same team basically, the same coach, the same dynamic, the same profile. They have conditions to be better because they have stability.
"We have changed some players and the identity of our game, our profile. I don't want to say if Chelsea are better or worse than last seaosn but, tomorrow, the Parc des Princes will see a different Chelsea to last year."
Thiago Silva wishes he was playing with, rather than coming up against, Chelsea dangerman Eden Hazard tonight.
Hazard had been on PSG’s wanted list before the Belgian winger extended his Stamford Bridge stay.
PSG’s Brazilian defender Silva said: “He is not just good, he is very good.”
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