Drogba sidelined for a month

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba could be out of action for four weeks with a groin injury, according to his club manager Jose Mourinho.

Drogba already misses Ivory Coast's World Cup qualifier against Benin on Sunday and Mourinho said on Chelsea's official website on Monday: "He has a muscular injury which could take two, three or four weeks' recovery."

Drogba was substituted during second-placed Chelsea's 1-0 home win over Liverpool on Sunday. The 26-year-old has scored five goals since joining the club from Olympique Marseille for 24 million pounds ($43.05 million) in July.

His absence is a big blow to Ivory Coast who play an African zone Group 3 qualifier in Cotonou on Sunday. Chelsea's next match is at Manchester City on October 16.

African countries produced so many world class players.
If form an African All-Star team, sure can beat European All-Star.

Mutu-Mourinho feud bubbles on

Chelsea's want-away striker Adrian Mutu criticised Jose Mourinho on Wednesday, saying the Chelsea manager had dropped him merely to prove that the strikers he bought this season were a good investment. The Romania forward said he would have to leave the wealthy London club to get regular football.

"I know now that it would be better for me to leave and find a team to play for," Mutu said. "I can't live without playing."

Mutu, 25, said he had travelled home against club orders to play for his national side in a World Cup qualifier with the Czech Republic. Chelsea had asked the Romanian soccer federation not to call him up, citing a knee injury.

"My situation at Chelsea became tense because I was regularly dropped from the team without apparent reason," Mutu told Reuters.

"Probably, Mourinho persuaded (Roman) Abramovich to buy some players in the summer and now those players are fielded in order to show that the investment was profitable," Mutu said. "I was a victim of this."

Mourinho, hired by billionaire Russian owner Abramovich to take over from Claudio Ranieri as Chelsea manager in July, spent a club record 24 million pounds ($42.78 million) on bringing Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba to Stamford Bridge. He added Serbian Mateja Kezman for five million.

ROW STARTED

Mutu, 25, told Reuters a row blew up between the two men last Friday when Mourinho tried to stop him leaving for Bucharest.

"He showed me a medical paper saying I was injured but I told him I'm fully fit to train and play. Then I decided to go to Romania and join the national team."

Romania's team doctor pronounced him fit to play in Saturday's game.

Mutu said he had to show his quality as a player for the national team because he was not getting a chance at his club.

"It's not important for me if I'm fined two weeks' wages, according to the club's rules. I take the blame for leaving without permission."

"He (Mourinho) promised I would start several times but then he left me on the bench. He gave me no chance to show how good I am. I considered Mourinho as a good friend of mine but I was disappointed with his behaviour towards me." Mutu's agent said he knew of no plans for Mutu to leave the London side though several clubs had shown an interest in him.

"What I know is that Mutu is under contract with Chelsea and nothing can move until January, when the transfer season opens," Victor Becali said. "A lot of things can happen in the the mext three months."

Both Drogba and Kezman are injured and Chelsea could be struggling to fill the strikers' slots when Premier League and Champions League action resumes in 10 days.

Mutu, who joined Chelsea from Parma in August 2003 for some $25 million, started well but lost form and fell out of favour with Ranieri.

Last August a loan deal with Juventus fell through and Becali said the striker would stay with Chelsea for the next four years.

TORRES ON THE WAY?

But tabloids in the UK have printed fresh allegations and discontent from Mutu in Wednesday's papers regarding his desire to play for Romania this Saturday. The striker is quoted as having claimed:

"I am in open conflict with Mourinho. I don't care about being fined. I want everyone to know that the national team is the most important thing for me.

"Probably the only solution now is to find another team," he added.

Reports in Italy suggest that Chelsea are one step ahead of their troubled striker, claiming that Mourinho is ready to offer 35m euros plus Mutu to Atletico Madrid for the Spanish goal-machine Fernando Torres.

Yet, with Kezman and Drogba out, the Chelsea coach may be forced to field Mutu in a bid to ease his crisis up-front.

Chelsea striker Mutu's future in doubt

Adrian Mutu, who played for Romania against club advice and criticised manager Jose Mourinho, may have made his last Chelsea appearance. Mourinho said on Friday the 25-year-old, who returned from Bucharest to a hefty fine for making critical comments, was still on the club's injury list.

"He's under the medical department. When a player can't train I'm not thinking about him," Mourinho said curtly.

The coach praised some of his other players, such as Scott Parker , Glen Johnson and Robert Huth, who were having trouble getting a starting spot in a squad packed with big name talent.

They had nevertheless worked hard and shown a professional attitude and in a long season were bound to get games, Mourinho said.

Asked when the Romanian might play again, the Portuguese coach added: "At this moment I see that day as far off."

Mutu played 90 minutes against the Czech Republic in a World Cup qualifier last Saturday after Romania's team doctor declared him fit, despite advice from the club that playing could aggravate a knee injury and lead to surgery.

Mutu said in Bucharest that he and Mourinho had had a heated argument and the manager had forbidden him to travel.

Mourinho denied on Friday he had tried to stop the player linking up with his national side as he had no right to do so.

He contrasted Mutu's situation with that of fellow-striker Mateja Kezman, also injured.

"Kezman flew to Yugoslavia and had a medical. (Serbia and Montenegro) agreed with the letter that we sent them and they sent him back," Mourinho said.

TROUBLED CAREER

After Mutu's return he had an "internal meeting" with Mourinho and club officials "Because of his comments. That's normal and that's between us and him," Mourinho said.

Mutu has had a troubled Chelsea career. He arrived from Parma under Mourinho's predecessor Claudio Ranieri in 2003 and scored on his first appearance, adding three more in his next two games.

The striker, who was estranged from his wife and separated from his son, took enthusiastically to London's nightlife. He fell out of favour with Ranieri and had little impact on the Chelsea team in the second half of last season.

Although he patched things up domestically, vowed to settle down and won praise from Mourinho for his attitude during the pre-season, he has managed only two brief substitute appearances this campaign.

Mourinho said on Friday his staff had had problems in training getting Mutu to work to improve certain aspects of his game.

Mutu said in Bucharest he felt his only solution was to find another club, though newspapers have since reported he has changed his mind and was seeking reconciliation with Mourinho and the club.

Chelsea are short of strikers for Saturday's Premier League game at Manchester City, with Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba out with a groin injury for another month.

Mourinho said Kezman had trained on Thursday and could be fit, though he might be saved for Wednesday's Champions League group game at home to CSKA Moscow.

Man City 1 - 0 Chelsea
Anelka(11, penalty)

Chelsea's 1st loss of the season.

Mourinho style still didn't suit in the Premier League. They thought he now teaching at Portugal.   EPL style is different from Portugal. When transfer window reopens in January, let's see them how they react. Thanks god Rafa Benitez Spanish revolution now much more improved.  

At least Chelsea's very strong defensively.
Just waiting for the offence to 'click'.

"Susah' for them liao

FA silent on Mutu cocaine report

The FA was refusing to comment Monday on reports in several newspapers that Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu had tested positive for cocaine. The out-of-favor Romania international could face a two-year ban in what could prove the last straw in his tumultuous relationship with new coach Jose Morinho.

If the allegation proves true, Mutu can then ask for a b-sample.

"We did not receive anything official until now," Mutu's agent Victor Becali told the Daily Telegraph. "I have only heard that this is not a recent test. I think it was done in September. I spoke with Mutu on Saturday and he did not say anything about this story."

The 25-year old striker cost Chelsea