Chelsea striker Diego Costa has claimed that referees in England fail to protect him from robust defending.

The Spain international has scored 18 goals in 30 games for the Blues since moving to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid last summer.

However, Costa has said that he has had to keep control of his temper because he believes that defenders try to kick him out of games.

"When I think about English defenders the word nobility doesn't come to mind," he told The Express. "They kick me all the time, just like they did in Spain.

"But I don't complain. They go in hard on me, but over here the refs don't give me free kicks whereas they do in Spain.

"Some players try to put me out of the game. But I'm getting to control my temper better all the time, and I just set out to play my normal game."

Costa has been forced to withdraw from Spain's squad to play Ukraine and Holland with a groin injury this week.