CHELSEA midfielder Cesc Fabregas has had clear-the-air talks with Sergio Ramos after his Spain team-mate questioned his commitment to the national team.

Fabregas and fellow Blues star Diego Costa missed Spain's two most recent matches earlier this month with injuries.

Real Madrid defender Ramos queried their absence after both played 90 minutes for Chelsea the previous weekend.

Fabregas said: "I hate that someone can doubt my commitment.

"I have played 94 games for Spain over nine years, always with a big smile.

"I've told Sergio what I thought about his comments. I told him we have played together since the Under-21s and there was no need for him to send messages through the press. I told him he could tell me to my face.

"Everything's fine now because we spoke on the phone. That's what we had to do - to speak."

The 27-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona star explained he had to stay in London to recover from a hamstring strain.

He told Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque he wanted to avoid the fate of Real Madrid's Luka Modric, who aggravated a thigh injury playing for Croatia and will be sidelined for three months

Fabregas added: "I had tendinitis in my left leg and had I played, I could have suffered the same situation as Modric.

"I told the coach and it was fine. He had the same thing as a player."

Fabregas has been in fine form for Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea and revealed he is loving life under boss Jose Mourinho.

He said: "I feel really good playing in the position I like to play in. I feel free. I'm playing the best football of my career."