New Headache for Ancelotti : Drogba could miss start of Premier League

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has successfully undergone surgery on a groin injury that had troubled him last season, although his recovery and rehabilitation from the operation could make it touch-and-go whether he will be fully fit in time to help the Blues' when they commence their Premier League title defence at home to West Bromwich Albion on 14 August.

Despite the lingering injury the prolific targetman still fired the Blues to a domestic double during 2009-10, contributing 29 Premier League goals in 31 starts.

The decision to perform the operation on Friday, following his return from World Cup 2010 where he performed for the Ivory Coast, was taken in an attempt to speed up his rehabilitation.

A statement today on Chelsea's official website noted: "Didier Drogba successfully underwent minimally invasive surgery yesterday [Friday] on the groin injury that had troubled him for some of last season.

"The decision to perform the procedure after his return from the World Cup was made to optimise his rehabilitation, and he is expected to return to full training in approximately three weeks."

Chelsea are due to face Manchester United in the FA Community Shield on Sunday, 8 August - a game Drogba seems sure to miss.

Drogba is not for SALE

English champions Chelsea have released a statement indicating that star striker Didier Drogba is staying put at Stamford Bridge. This follows media speculation on Tuesday suggesting that Manchester City were lining up a bid for the player.

Drogba's agent, Thierno Seydi, said in a radio interview that he had had contact with City. However, this claim was refuted by the Citizens on Tuesday and now Chelsea themselves have stated that 'the Drog' is not for sale.

"It is all irrelevant, Didier Drogba is not for sale," said a Chelsea spokesman, according to Sky Sports.

Drogba was a key player in the Blues' Premier League success last season.

Chelsea 4 - 1 West Ham

Dominant Chelsea thrashed relegation-threatened West Ham to return to the Premier League summit.
Florent Malouda crossed for Alex to open the scoring for Chelsea with a powerful header from six yards.
The Hammers hit back through Scott Parker who scored with a vicious half-volley from outside the area.
But Didier Drogba headed home a Malouda cross to regain the lead, before Malouda coolly slotted a third and Drogba tapped in a late fourth.
From the start, West Ham defended deep against title-chasing Chelsea - perhaps unsurprisingly considering they started the day only three points outside of the bottom three, yet it was the Hammers who had the first chance to take the lead.
Jonathan Spector outmuscled Paulo Ferreira on the byeline and the loose ball fell to Mido who squared to Ilan, unmarked on the edge of the six yard box, but the Brazilian hammered his effort over the bar.
Chelsea might have seen their formidable Stamford Bridge record dented by a loss to Manchester City in their previous league match, but they were in no mood for a second setback and took the lead just two minutes after Ilan's miss.
Malouda, in space on the left, produced an inch-perfect cross which defender Alex powered past Robert Green to open the scoring.
Carlo Ancelotti's side almost made it 2-0 moments later courtesy of another cross from the lively Malouda, but the ball clipped the bar after taking a deflection off Matthew Upson's thigh.

Ancelotti praises 'improving' Chelsea

But if Chelsea thought the game would go all their way they were mistaken as Gianfranco Zola's well organised side harried and their tenacity was rewarded when Parker struck in spectacular style.
Kieron Dyer's throw in, which television replays suggested was a foul throw, was flicked on by Jon Mikel Obi and bounced kindly for Parker.
The former Chelsea man, who left Stamford Bridge for Newcastle in 2005, took one touch before launching a looping right-footed half-volley beyond Turnbull and into the top right corner - for the midfielder's first goal of the season.
That was to be as good as it got for West Ham who, despite no lack of effort, were overpowered by Chelsea.
The main source of danger for the home side was France winger Malouda, who continued to torment Spector, but Chelsea's second goal owed more to a piece of John Terry-inspired attacking play.

Second Chelsea goal was cruicial - Zola

The former England skipper dribbled the ball into West Ham's half before finding Drogba who slipped the ball out to Malouda, the winger returning the compliment with a perfect cross for Drogba to score.
As Chelsea threatened to add another, Green, playing his 116th successive league game, at least had the opportunity to impress watching England boss Fabio Capello.
And Green did exactly that when another Chelsea cross found Alex who saw the England goalkeeper palm the ball around the post at full stretch.
Malouda finally added the goal his endeavour deserved when Drogba controlled a long ball and laid it off to the winger, who coolly passed his finish beyond Green.
Frank Lampard hit the post from Malouda's cross as Chelsea threatened to give the score a slightly unfair edge but West Ham could not hold out for long.
After finding space Lampard struck another fierce effort, this time spilled by Green, and Drogba was perfectly placed to score his 27th goal of the season.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti:
"I think Malouda was the best player in this game.
"He was always giving us ideas on the left hand side, putting in crosses and when he scored that was a good moment.
"We maintained a good balance in the second half. We had a bit of a problem but we are improving and are confident for Tuesday [against Inter Milan]."
On goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, Ancelotti added:
"He did well, he played with confidence and good personality and he is a good goalkeeper.
"I think he will be in goal on Tuesday, we have confidence in Turnbull."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:
"It was very good for 65 minutes but as soon as we conceded the second goal it was too hard for us.
"I saw the boys go flat because they had used so much energy trying to contain them.
"It is vital that you keep it on the positive side. That doesn't mean you turn your back on the problems, we will be dealing with those in the week.
"The attitude that we put forward against team like Chelsea can make the difference when we play against teams around us.
"I am not going to give up anything. We have another tough game against Arsenal next week and I'm not going to go there already beaten."

Didier Drogba Wins Glo-CAF African Best Player Award

Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has been named the 2009 Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year.

Les Elephants captain lifts the coveted award for the second time since 2006. He edged out Inter and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o to deny the latter a record fourth win.

The 32-year-old is leading Les Elephants to the 2010 summer World Cup in South Africa and was at the helm of affairs when they dropped out in the quarters of the recently concluded African Cup of Nations.

Chelsea midfield ace Michael Essien who could not grab the ultimate award made it to the Africa finest eleven alongside Eto’o and national team-mate John Pantsil.

The three shortlisted players for the ultimate award were not in attendance due to club commitments.

AC Milan’s new signing Dominic Adiyiah was voted the Young Player of the Year while coach Sellas Tetteh grabbed the Coach of the Year award. Adiyiah fended off challenges from South Africa's Kermit Erasmus (Feyenoord and South Africa U-20) and Sani Emmanuel (Bodens BK and Nigeria U-17).

Adiyiah won the Goal King and was voted player of the tournament in the FIFA World U-20 tourney in Egypt.

The National Team of the Year went to Algeria for their stupendous performance, beating rivals Egypt for their group's single slot for the World Cup.

Mputu Mabi of TP Mazembe snatched the Best African Player on the Continent while his club TP Mazembe emerged the Club of the Year. The Supporters Club of the Year went to South Africa Supporters Club.

The Fair Play Award went to Al Haly supporters for cheering on even when they lost to Mazembe.

Chelsea 2-0 Wolverhampton

Chelsea beat Wolverhampton 2-0 to go 4 points clear off their title rivals Manchester United. The Chelsea hitman Drogba was at his best and he fired twice to grab the game for his team and made his tally 25 goals in this season. The Ivory Coast frontman made the most of two rare chances in an unconvincing away display, sliding home his first from Yuri Zhirkov's pinpoint cross.
Drogba then latched on to Petr Cech's long kick for his second to wrap it up.
But Wolves will feel hard done by, with Cech twice denying Adlene Guedioura to render a brave home display fruitless.
And while the hosts should certainly take heart from a performance that once again proves they can live with the best sides at the Molineux on their day, another defeat means they remain perilously close to the drop zone.For Chelsea, though, victory will be just what boss Carlo Ancelotti will have wanted after another week of front-page allegations and controversy surrounding the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Not that many observers will look back on this match as a particularly convincing Chelsea victory by any stretch of the imagination.
Anyone who witnessed Wolves' displays in their draws with Liverpool and Aston Villa, or their win over Tottenham, at the Molineux this season will have been less than surprised by their approach.
Packed across midfield and deep in defence, Wolves hassled and harried, suffocating Chelsea's creative players and denying the front-runners space and time to manoeuvre in attack.
And for much of the first half, the hosts' game plan worked to perfection. With Chelsea looking increasingly bereft of ideas, it was Mick McCarthy's men looking the more threatening on the odd occasion they sprung a counter-attack.
Kevin Doyle, in particular, was a threat and he twice stung the palms of Blues keeper Cech, once with a low effort after a decent run across the box and then again with a snap-shot that the Czech Republic international did well to turn around his near post.
The impressive Zhirkov was the creator, exchanging a neat one-two with Michael Ballack on the edge of the box before crossing low for Drogba to complete the simplest of tap-ins at the far post in the 40th minute.
It was a rare moment of cohesion going forward for Chelsea, who have certainly lost an element of sparkle in recent weeks with only one win away from home in six league matches.
However, the opening goal failed to fire the visitors to greater heights at the start of the second half and only the commanding presence of Cech kept them ahead.
First a cross from Matt Jarvis floated to the onrushing and unmarked Guedioura at the back post, only for the midfielder's crashing volley to be beaten away by Cech.

And then Kevin Foley brought an even better stop from the Blues keeper when he latched on to an error from John Terry to fire goalwards, his shot smothered bravely by Cech, Guedioura seeing his follow-up cleared.
Chelsea skipper Terry, of course, has been at the heart of the stories splashed across the tabloids in recent weeks.
But while Ashley Cole was spared the ignominy of the Molineux taunts by injury, there was no such respite for Terry - and it was another less than convincing performance from the former England captain.
As with in the first half, though, Chelsea proved their most dangerous when on the back foot.
However, if the first goal was all about 'total' football, the second was far more direct - and how that, in itself, underlines the Blues' all-round threat this season.
Drogba was again the dagger in the Wolves defenders' hearts, latching on to Cech's booming goal kick, nodding round home keeper Marcus Hahnemann with his first touch and tapping in with his second.
The hosts continued to battle valiantly thereafter but, in truth, their spirit had been broken.
Doyle curled harmlessly wide and Terry cleared Greg Halford's long throw off the line - though, as it was direct from the throw, it would not have counted anyway - but the remaining 20 minutes were comfortable for Chelsea.
And so the Londoners made it four Premier League wins over Wolves in four matches to make the most of Manchester United's earlier slip-up and ensure they remain in pole position in the title race.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
"I've just had a right chew at the lads in the dressing-room because we've lost a game that we shouldn't have.
We've let Chelsea off the hook today and that's what has annoyed me. We had them in that second half, we had them. We created chances, didn't take them, and then conceded a sloppy second goal that has killed us.
"Chelsea are the champions-elect and we've matched them in all departments today except putting the ball in the back of the net."