Didier Drogba has triggered a selection crisis for Chelsea by insisting he is not yet fit to start at Old Trafford this weekend.
Against Champions League minnows Maribor on Tuesday, Drogba scored his first goal since returning to the Blues, but joined the ranks of Loic Remy and Diego Costa lined up outside the club medical department for treatment.
Asked if he fancied taking to the field against Manchester United in Sunday's big Premier League clash, the Ivorian said: “I think it is up to the manager to decide who is going to start.
“If you were a player how would you feel if they say you can play at Old Trafford? You would be happy.
“I am not fit yet. But these kind of games (against lesser sides like Maribor), they help me to improve.
“I need time, because before signing here I didn't play for two or three months. Then I had this injury that cut me out for a while.
“So I need more games. But I am training hard to be back to fitness.”
With Drogba all but excusing himself from selection for the starting line-up against United, boss Jose Mourinho has a quandary about his striking options.
Remy got injured in scoring during the 6-0 win over Maribor, and was ruled out post-match by the Blues' boss for two weeks.
Meanwhile, Costa has not played since returning from an international break with Spain.
That potentially leaves 17-year-old Dominic Solanke, whose 17-minute cameo against Maribor was his first team debut; or a more radical option such as Andre Schurrle or Mohamed Salah up front.
That is all, of course, assuming Costa's injury is not a matter of mind games – something for which Mourinho is famous.
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