Injuries to Diego Costa and Loïc Rémy mean the rusty and ageing Ivorian striker could start at Old Trafford on Sunday
There was a sweet dose of nostalgia when Didier Drogba put his status as club royalty to good use and asked Eden Hazard to let him take Chelseas first penalty against NK Maribor on Tuesday night. Drogba had been on the pitch for only five minutes after replacing the injured Loïc Rémy and while it may have simply looked like he was doing what comes naturally to all single-minded strikers, the significance of the moment was not lost on him.
This was his first goal for Chelsea since his return in the summer, and how Drogba appreciated it came from the spot given the last act of his first spell was converting the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final. When I took the penalty I was smiling because thats the way I left the club, Drogba said. To start scoring with a penalty again is quite symbolic.