CHELSEA skipper Gary Cahill claims Diego Costa will be "a big miss" and admits the champions' current squad is not big enough.

Costa was the Premier League winners' top scorer with 20 goals last season but looks set to leave Stamford Bridge after being frozen out by Antonio Conte.

6 Gary Cahill admits Diego Costa will be a big miss this season

6 Diego Costa in no longer part of Antonio Conte's plans at Chelsea Credit: AFP

Cahill revealed to talkSPORT: “As a player, he will be missed.

NOT PICKED YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM YET? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

“Diego Costa is Diego Costa, he scores goals, he’s an animated character and he is a big personality.

“He will be a big miss, we obviously added to the squad with Alvaro (Morata) and that is a great addition to the squad, but you are always going to miss big players."

The champions have bagged Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and back-up keeper Willy Caballero this summer.

But Chelsea have lost a host of players including Nemanja Matic, Rueben Loftus-Cheek, Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Chalobah.

Conte has 14 senior outfield players to choose from ahead of the first game of the campaign against Burnley on Saturday.

6 Diego Costa hit 20 league goals for the champions least season Credit: Getty Images

6 Diego Costa has been training alone as he prepares to find new club Credit: Instagram @diegocosta

6 Diego Costa wants a move to Atletico Madrid but they face a transfer ban Credit: Instagram @DiegoCosta

6 Alvaro Morata will has been drafted in to replace Diego Costa Credit: Getty - Contributor

And with the addition of Champions League football, Cahill admits he is concerned about the depth of the current squad.

He added: "Maybe I'm talking out of turn, I would have thought so but there is no getting away from the fact that if you look at the back of the programme from the weekend (the squad is small).

"In terms of quality, we certainly have the quality, you saw that last season, but again there's no way of getting around it that we have to keep players fit because at the minute the squad is not as big as other squads.

“That’s vitally important for us and we will have to see how that plays out.”

Have you signed up to play fantasy football yet?

If the answer is no you need to take a long, hard look at yourself.

Because the Dream Team game – the UK’s biggest fantasy football game – is back and better than ever this season.

You’ve got a £50m budget to pick 11 players, with all the biggest new signings ready and raring to go ahead of a mouthwatering new Premier League campaign.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up to play now!

Keep up to date with all the latest news, gossip, rumours and done deals in SunSport's live transfer blog