Diego Costa took a full part in training with the Chelsea first team on Tuesday as the likelihood of a move to China dwindled.

Costa was involved as his Chelsea team-mates returned following two days off after Saturday’s win at Leicester.

Blues boss Antonio Conte said the 28-year-old striker was absent from that game with a back problem which saw him miss three days of training last week.

And Conte refused to publicly comment on reports of a disagreement with his top scorer, whose solitary training sessions on Sunday and Monday were linked to his recuperation, Chelsea said.

Costa had been linked with a mega-money move to Tianjin Quanjian.

Chelsea and owner Roman Abramovich are determined to keep the Spain striker, who has scored 14 Premier League goals in 19 games this season.

And the Chinese Super League club’s owner on Tuesday said that Chelsea’s desire to keep the striker until the end of the season and the new limit on foreign imports to China, with three permitted in matchday squads, will scupper a deal.

Tianjin’s billionaire owner Shu Yuhui told Tianjin TV, according to Sina Sports: “This situation has brought a change to our signing plans.

“If (the rule) had been ‘4 +1’ as in the past, then we would have made a big investment this year, but now it seems to be changed to three.

“The online reports about Costa, it’s true we’d like him, and we made an offer for (Edinson) Cavani and were deep in negotiations.”

Costa signed a five-year deal on his arrival from Atletico Madrid in July 2014 for £32m, so has two and a half years to run.

Chelsea and owner Roman Abramovich would resist Costa agitating for a move, with many pundits insisting the striker is integral to Chelsea’s push for the title.

Chelsea, who have a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League, next play at home to Hull on Sunday.