text: Jose Mourinho had placed the Barclays Premier League’s joint-top goalscorer on standby for this match, insisting he would only turn to Diego Costa if absolutely necessary. As it turned out, the emergency glass needed to be broken. The £32million striker was required to stop Chelsea squandering the opportunity to open a seven-point advantage over their title rivals. Yet all they got was 11 minutes before Costa was forced off with a recurrence of the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the international break with Spain. Chelsea striker Diego Costa limped off with a hamstring injury shortly after coming on at the interval . Will he be out for a week, a month, two months, maybe more? ‘It’s too early,’ said Mourinho, who went on to defend throwing Costa on. ‘I don’t say “gamble” because we did every test, every scan, the player trained for two days, he was 100 per cent with the team. ‘The medical department were convinced he was ready. The player was convinced he was ready. Not for 90 minutes but he was ready to play and to help the team.’ In the meantime a chunk of the Chelsea contingent will be wondering how they fill the void left by Costa. They need look no further than this win against Stoke as the answer presents itself in the form of Loic Remy and, of course, Eden Hazard. Blues striker Costa looks despondent as he sits on the turf following another injury to his hamstring . Hazard scored and assisted in the same Premier League match for the seventh time, and looked like a man ready to rubbish the idea he was too tired to play a full 90 minutes for Belgium in midweek. He tormented the Stoke defence here at Stamford Bridge, and has scored more Premier League goals for Chelsea over the past three seasons than any other player. That’s 35, by the way. So, too, was Remy equally as clinical against Stoke. Acting as Costa’s replacement for the starting XI, he proved more than a handful for the visitors on his fourth start for Chelsea in the Premier League. It took an outstanding one-handed save from Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic at full stretch to deny Remy’s deflected shot from giving Chelsea the lead after just three minutes. Then, four minutes later, it was him again, going close as his curled shot skipped agonisingly wide of the far post. The man turned down by Liverpool was given the unfortunate task of trying to fill the boots of Costa, but rarely looked shy in doing so. Yet it remained 0-0 as half time approached. Was it time for Mourinho to roll the dice? It was in the 32nd minute his patience wore thin. Costa looks in pain after pulling up at Stamford Bridge during Chelsea's 2-1 win over Stoke City . Chelsea gave away possession in the final third – not for the first time – and a frowning Mourinho turned to his substitutes’ bench, gestured at Costa with a nod, and the striker began warming up down the touchline. A sign he was to be introduced soon enough. It took a smidgen of luck for the deadlock to be broken thanks to the quick feet of Cesc Fabregas earning a penalty, and Hazard was cool as ever in putting Chelsea ahead. Never in doubt, as no player in Premier League history has taken more and never missed than Hazard. Yet Stamford Bridge’s celebrations were short-lived. Mourinho’s frustration grew when Charlie Adam channelled his inner David Beckham and scored from more than 60 yards out. With Thibaut Courtois left embarrassed, Mourinho knew it was time to ‘gamble’. Jose Mourinho was happy to have gambled with Costa's fitness despite losing the striker after 10 minutes . Off went Oscar, on came Costa for the second half. No sooner had he been on the pitch than he had to come off. He signalled to the bench after just 10 minutes and was replaced by veteran Didier Drogba. Yet this was all about Chelsea's go-to guy, Hazard, and Costa’s worthy replacement, Remy. ‘We have three strikers,’ Mourinho declared afterwards. ‘We decided at the beginning of the season to go more with Diego. He won the right of being first choice.’ But by this evidence, Chelsea supporters need not lose sleep over their first-choice striker's injury. As Stoke found out, Remy can fill the gap left by Costa, and Hazard is simply every bit a Premier League title winner in the making. Eden Hazard steps up to stroke home the opener for Chelsea from the penalty spot in the first half . Remy finishes to put Chelsea back in front after a mistake from Stoke City keeper Begovic .
target: Chelsea will be without top scorer Diego Costa for at least two games .
  The £32m striker suffered recurrence of hamstring injury against Stoke .
  Loic Remy and Eden Hazard scored in 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge .