Diego Costa is determined to maintain the physical style which made him one of Europe's most feared centre-forwards but he admits the memory of Emre Can and the three-match ban is playing on his mind.
Costa agrees with Jose Mourinho, who claimed his 17-goal top-scorer was off the pace due to the suspension imposed retrospectively by the Football Association for the stamp on Liverpool's Can.
Chelsea's Spain international striker is without a goal since mid-January and without a cup goal this season as he prepares for his first Wembley appearance, in the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
'When I was at my best, I had that suspension and I still don't know why it happened,' said Costa. 'I'm running a little bit behind, trying to do my best, working hard and hopefully I'll be 100 per cent.
'The truth is I didn't even know how many games it was since I scored. It doesn't worry me. What worries me is to be in the best physical form to score goals.
'I know now that I have to be a little bit more careful, because it's not the same when I do something as it is when someone else does it.
'Something I do is talked about much more than another player. I have to be extra careful but I'm never going to change the way I play. That's what got me here. That's the way I play.'
Tottenham's former Sevilla centre half Federico Fazio understands the aggressive nature of Costa's game. The pair clashed in Spain and will meet again at Wembley.
'I don't have a problem with any defenders,' said the Chelsea striker. 'I've always played against great defenders. Fazio is great. It's going to be a very good duel and I'm hoping to be on the winning side.'
Spurs won 5-3 when the teams met at White Hart Lane on New Year's Day, although Costa preferred to recall a 3-0 Chelsea win from earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge.
'There's no revenge or anything like that, just a final and we want to win,' Costa said. 'It's an important game whatever way you look at it. Never mind the opposition. We all know we have the quality to win.
'What gives it more importance is it's my first final at the club. So I will go in with the mentality and have the motivation to come away with the trophy. It's a historic stadium which has hosted games and players of great prestige. It's going to be my first game there and I'm hoping to do my best. It's important to play on great stages like this.
'I joined a club like Chelsea to win titles. As we say, finals are not to play them, they are to win them. I'm hoping I can get my first title with Chelsea. It will be a beautiful experience.'
His last final did not go to plan. Atletico were beaten 4-1 after extra time by Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Lisbon and Costa limped off in the ninth minute with a recurrence of a hamstring problem.
Chelsea, however, will have their lucky Wembley mascot in the squad.
Didier Drogba is expected to start on the bench but he has an incredible record at the national stadium, with eight goals since it reopened.
His only Wembley defeat was against Spurs in the League Cup final, in 2008. He is Chelsea's all-time leading scorer in major cup finals, with nine goals.
'We all know who I lost against, aarrgghh,' groaned Drogba. 'It was a difficult one to take because I had just returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and it was only my second game back. But Wembley has been good to me. That's the way I prefer to describe it.
'I have had lots of good days at Wembley, so many good memories. It is not easy to pick one goal or one match. Maybe I would say my free-kick against Portsmouth (in the 2010 FA Cup final victory) because we had so many chances but did not score until that went in.'
Drogba won the FA Cup on his last Wembley appearance in 2012, having beaten Spurs in the semi-final. He is back after two years in China and Turkey and is learning the art of the cameo substitute, having started nine and come on in 21 games this season.
'Even if you do not start it is hard to lose a final because you are part of the team,' said the Ivorian.
'Just put me there on the pitch and you'll see what it means to me. Even if I'm on the pitch for two minutes, I will try to do it. This season has been quite a new experience for me and I'm trying to adapt. My body is not used to making a difference in a short space of time. But if I can bring some luck to the team, then why not?'
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