Dailystar : CHELSEA’S return to the Premier League title race could be over in a month.
And it’s all down to Didier Drogba. The striker has been inspirational in helping the club claw their way out of a dismal run of form and force their way back into the race to be crowned champions.
Drogba has regained his status as the main man at Stamford Bridge, helping send Nicolas Anelka packing to China and leaving Fernando Torres a frustrated figure on the bench.
And Andre Villas-Boas has suddenly discovered that the way forward for Chelsea is relying on the forward who has terrorised Premier League defences for the past seven seasons.
But those new plans, and Chelsea’s chances of being top dogs again this season, now look in jeopardy – because Drogba is about to fl y out for the African Nations Cup.
And the undoubted first choice faces missing FIVE league matches while he leads his Ivory Coast side in Gabon and Equatorial New Guinea in the tournament, which begins on January 21.