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Chelsea could have Didier Drogba fit in three weeks
Chelsea received a huge boost with the news that Didier Drogba is unlikely to need surgery on the medial knee ligament injury he sustained in Romania on Wednesday.
By John Ley
Last Updated: 11:58PM BST 02 Oct 2008
Ray of light: Didier Drogba may now be fit in three weeks time Photo: AP
The club had feared the Ivory Coast striker would be sidelined until next year after he damaged his right knee and the signs looked ominous late yesterday afternoon when they cancelled a book-signing session with the player planned for today at the Stamford Bridge Megastore.
But the indications last night were that Drogba would not need an operation and is likely to be out for three to four weeks rather than months.
Drogba had been making his comeback appearance after a long-term injury to his left knee when he suffered his latest setback and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech could only sympathise.
Cech has suffered his fair share of injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge, most notably the depressed fracture of the skull sustained in a clash with Reading’s Stephen Hunt which kept him out of the game for more than three months. “I think the saddest thing is that Didier just overcame an injury and another one will be difficult for him,” said Cech. “The difficulty is always a mental one because you want always to be on the pitch and you can’t be. Then you need to work to get back your fitness and it takes time. You need to be patient.
“But Didier is a strong character. Things like this are always disappointing but I think he will get back as soon as he can.”
Drogba’s injury leaves Chelsea missing the spine of their team. Defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielders Deco and Michael Essien are all currently recovering from long-term problems. Add short-term injury victims Joe Cole, John Terry, Alex and Ashley Cole to the list and the strength of Chelsea’s squad will be tested to the full, particularly with a difficult run of fixtures coming up.
Midfielder Michael Ballack, who has also been sidelined by injuries this season, said: “At the moment we are not being lucky. It shouldn’t happen. But now, especially with the strikers, we have just Nicolas [Anelka]. It meant that in Romania I had to play up front for a while. It’s not easy at the moment, it’s a worry but we have a strong squad and I hope we have enough. It looks like players have problems for Sunday but I hope we can get a strong team out.”
On Sunday, the Premier League leaders face third-placed Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. The following weekend is an international break when all of Chelsea’s fit players will be away on duty for their countries — which always carries the risk of more injuries — and Chelsea’s first game back is an away trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, Oct 18.
On the following Wednesday, they entertain Roma in what could prove a pivotal fixture in Group A of the Champions League after the 0-0 draw in Romania and Roma’s 3-1 win in Bordeaux. That testing European encounter is followed by the visit of Liverpool on Sunday, Oct 26.
Injuries have exposed Chelsea’s lack of numbers. Even before Drogba’s departure, the substitutes’ bench included untried defender Branislav Ivanovic, a 24-year-old Serbian yet to make a first-team appearance following a £9 million move from Lokomotiv Moscow last January. With John Terry and Alex both facing fitness tests ahead of the Villa game, Ivanovic could get a belated first start.
Chelsea’s attacking options are also limited. Anelka will now have his chance to impress in the place of Drogba, while the only other options in attack are Salomon Kalou, who started in midfield on Wednesday, and Franco Di Santo, a 6ft 3in, 19-year-old Argentine who has come on three times late on in games this season.
The latest news could prompt manager Luiz Felipe Scolari to bring in reinforcements in January. Chelsea are understood to be tracking Luis Fabiano, a 27-year-old Brazilian striker currently with Sevilla, with whom he has scored 40 goals in 80 games. They are also reported to be keen on Diego, a Brazilian midfielder currently with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Chelsea could have Didier Drogba fit in three weeks
Chelsea received a huge boost with the news that Didier Drogba is unlikely to need surgery on the medial knee ligament injury he sustained in Romania on Wednesday.
By John Ley
Last Updated: 11:58PM BST 02 Oct 2008
Ray of light: Didier Drogba may now be fit in three weeks time Photo: AP The club had feared the Ivory Coast striker would be sidelined until next year after he damaged his right knee and the signs looked ominous late yesterday afternoon when they cancelled a book-signing session with the player planned for today at the Stamford Bridge Megastore.
But the indications last night were that Drogba would not need an operation and is likely to be out for three to four weeks rather than months.
Drogba had been making his comeback appearance after a long-term injury to his left knee when he suffered his latest setback and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech could only sympathise.
Cech has suffered his fair share of injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge, most notably the depressed fracture of the skull sustained in a clash with Reading’s Stephen Hunt which kept him out of the game for more than three months. “I think the saddest thing is that Didier just overcame an injury and another one will be difficult for him,” said Cech. “The difficulty is always a mental one because you want always to be on the pitch and you can’t be. Then you need to work to get back your fitness and it takes time. You need to be patient.
“But Didier is a strong character. Things like this are always disappointing but I think he will get back as soon as he can.”
Drogba’s injury leaves Chelsea missing the spine of their team. Defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielders Deco and Michael Essien are all currently recovering from long-term problems. Add short-term injury victims Joe Cole, John Terry, Alex and Ashley Cole to the list and the strength of Chelsea’s squad will be tested to the full, particularly with a difficult run of fixtures coming up.
Midfielder Michael Ballack, who has also been sidelined by injuries this season, said: “At the moment we are not being lucky. It shouldn’t happen. But now, especially with the strikers, we have just Nicolas [Anelka]. It meant that in Romania I had to play up front for a while. It’s not easy at the moment, it’s a worry but we have a strong squad and I hope we have enough. It looks like players have problems for Sunday but I hope we can get a strong team out.”
On Sunday, the Premier League leaders face third-placed Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. The following weekend is an international break when all of Chelsea’s fit players will be away on duty for their countries — which always carries the risk of more injuries — and Chelsea’s first game back is an away trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, Oct 18.
On the following Wednesday, they entertain Roma in what could prove a pivotal fixture in Group A of the Champions League after the 0-0 draw in Romania and Roma’s 3-1 win in Bordeaux. That testing European encounter is followed by the visit of Liverpool on Sunday, Oct 26.
Injuries have exposed Chelsea’s lack of numbers. Even before Drogba’s departure, the substitutes’ bench included untried defender Branislav Ivanovic, a 24-year-old Serbian yet to make a first-team appearance following a £9 million move from Lokomotiv Moscow last January. With John Terry and Alex both facing fitness tests ahead of the Villa game, Ivanovic could get a belated first start.
Chelsea’s attacking options are also limited. Anelka will now have his chance to impress in the place of Drogba, while the only other options in attack are Salomon Kalou, who started in midfield on Wednesday, and Franco Di Santo, a 6ft 3in, 19-year-old Argentine who has come on three times late on in games this season.
The latest news could prompt manager Luiz Felipe Scolari to bring in reinforcements in January. Chelsea are understood to be tracking Luis Fabiano, a 27-year-old Brazilian striker currently with Sevilla, with whom he has scored 40 goals in 80 games. They are also reported to be keen on Diego, a Brazilian midfielder currently with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
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