How Avram Grant must wish that star striker Didier Drogba was available for Chelsea’s visit to Arsenal on Sunday. The Ivorian demonstrated his ‘big game qualities’ last season when scoring a brace against the Gunners in the Carling Cup final, along with the winner against Liverpool when he expertly turned a shot past Pepe Reina in their league clash. Will the likes of Saloman Kalou and Andriy Shevchenko be able to trouble the leaders’ rearguard in the same way?
However, every cloud has a silver lining and last week’s forecast of a two-month lay-off for Drogba has now turned into three weeks according to the Chelsea boss:
“It looks like it will be three weeks,” said Grant. “I hope he can play before he goes away with the Ivory Coast. First, I want him to feel well but I hope the operation went well.”
After their ‘Sunday Showdown’ with Arsenal, the Blues face Blackburn away, before hosting Aston Villa and Newcastle. However, this string of matches will at least give the Chelsea boss and his players the chance to adjust to life without Drogba before he goes away to the African Nations Cup.