Football News
Drogba set to return for Chelsea
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on:
01 November 2008 - 1:00 PM
Category:
Football
Didier Drogba is ready to make a comeback for Chelsea as a substitute against Sunderland this afternoon and Joe Cole has also been declared fit to face Roy Keane's side. Striker Drogba has been out for more than a month with a knee injury but is included in the squad for Saturday's Premier League match.The good news for the Blues is that midfielder Cole is also able to play despite being substituted with an ankle problem when he made a comeback from an Achilles injury against Hull in midweek.
Chelsea manager Luiz-Felipe Scolari said: "Joe Cole is ready, not 100% but ready. He'll have a chance. And Drogba can go with us and stay on the bench."
The only bad news for Chelsea is that defender Ricardo Carvalho, who limped off with a hamstring injury at Hull, has been ruled out long-term.
Scolari added: "He will be out for one month. It's two weeks minimum without training, then recovery work. He'll play for us after a month. He'll be a big loss. When I bring one back, I lose another. That's how it's going for me at the moment at Chelsea. Maybe in the future the wind will change and I will have everyone fit."
Scolari has resisted the temptation to recall defender Michael Mancienne from a loan spell at Wolves, however.
He said: "He will stay where he is. I have Terry, Ivanovic, Alex and Paulo Ferreira. But it's a good time for Mancienne to play for six months at another club. That might be better for us in the future. To be on the bench here for a month is no good. It's better for him to play outside."
Chelsea will be aiming to start a new run of victories at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after their 86-match unbeaten home record in the league was ended by Liverpool last week.
Scolari said: "The fans aren't satisfied that we lost the unbeaten home record. But we haven't spoken about the record in our dressing room. We lost the game, not the record.
"The record was important, but the three points were more important. We want to apologise to our fans, but we didn't play very well for one game. That day was against Liverpool."