CHELSEA have been rocked by the news that Didier Drogba is facing an operation that could keep him out for several months.
The Ivory Coast striker had a scan on Wednesday that revealed degeneration in the meniscus of his left knee which requires surgery. A decision on whether to operate immediately or patch him up in the hope of getting him through the Christmas period will be made in the next few days.
Chelsea's medical staff will examine his performance in training this week before advising Avram Grant, the first-team coach, of the best course of action, although if Drogba is deemed unfit to face Sunderland at tomorrow, they are likely to recommend him having an operation as soon as possible.
Although there is a temptation to keep Drogba going with painkilling injections until January, when he will be unavailable because of the African Cup of Nations, the 29-year-old is unwilling to sacrifice his international ambitions in such a manner and the club's medical department does not want to risk his long-term health for the sake of a few English Premier League appearances.
Drogba has been carrying the injury since he took a knock to his left knee while playing for Ivory Coast last month, which caused him to miss Chelsea's 2-0 win away to Derby County.
A prolonged period without Drogba would be a huge blow for Chelsea, who are heavily reliant on their leading scorer. They failed to win any of the three matches that Drogba missed with a different knee injury in September and scored only one goal in the process.
The minimum recovery period from surgery is between three and five weeks, not including the time necessary to regain match fitness, which would keep Drogba out until he is due to report for African Cup of Nations duty in January. - ©The Times, London
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