By Patrick Haond Last updated: 13th May 2008
Drogba: Fitness boost
Chelsea star Didier Drogba has declared he will be fit to play in next week's Champions League final.
Drogba's participation in Moscow had been in doubt after he picked up a knee knock in Sunday's draw with Bolton.
The Ivory Coast international had an ice pack strapped to his knee after the game and Blues boss Avram Grant admitted Drogba's fitness was a worry for him.
Drogba has played down the severity of the injury and insists he will be fit in time for the clash with Manchester United.
"I got a blow on my knee which got surgery, and it had a bad reaction," Drogba told L'Equipe. "I immediately put some ice on, but there is nothing serious.
"I will resume training sessions this week.
"There is nothing more serious with John," added Drogba. "I had a talk with him. He will play at Moscow.
"Anyway, no one wants to miss that huge rendezvous. It is the match of our careers, to me it is for sure.
However, the former Marseille hot-man refused to discuss his future with reports last week suggesting Milan were closing in on his signing.
"Today I just have the Moscow final in my mind. What will happen in June or July? I don't know yet," continued Drogba.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 29th July | |
| UEFA Champions League Qualifying | |
| 15:00 | Inter Baku vs Partizan Belgrade |
| 19:45 | AaB vs Dinamo Tirana/Modrica |
| 19:45 | Aktobe/FC Sheriff vs Sparta Prague |
| 19:45 | Anderlecht vs BATE/Valur Reykjavik |
| 19:45 | Anorthosis Famagusta/Pyunik vs Rapid Vienna |
| 19:45 | Beitar Jerusalem vs Wisla Krakow |
| 19:45 | Drogheda Utd vs Dynamo Kiev |
| 19:45 | Drogheda Utd/Levadia Tallin vs Dynamo Kiev |
| 19:45 | F91 Dudelange/Domzale vs Linfield/Dinamo Zagreb |
| 19:45 | Fenerbahce vs MTK Budapest |
| 19:45 | Inter/Rabotnicki Kometal vs Partizan Belgrade |
| 19:45 | Murata/IFK Goteborg vs Basle |
| 19:45 | Panathinaikos vs Dinamo Tbilisi/NSI Runavik |
| 19:45 | Rangers vs Santa Coloma/FBK Kaunas |
| 19:45 | SK Brann vs FK Ventspils |
| 19:45 | SK Brann vs Llanelli/FK Ventspils |
| 19:45 | Tampere United/Buducnost Podgorica vs Valletta/Artmedia Petrzalka |
| Wednesday 30th July | |
| UEFA Champions League Qualifying | |
| 17:00 | Tampere United vs Artmedia Petrzalka |
| 18:00 | FC Sheriff vs Sparta Prague |
| 19:00 | AaB vs Modrica |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 23rd July | |
| UEFA Champions League Qualifying | |
| Pyunik 0 - 2 Anorthosis Famagusta | |
| Levadia Tallinn 0 - 1 Drogheda Utd | |
| Buducnost Podgorica 1 - 1 Tampere United | |
| Artmedia Petrzalka 1 - 0 Valletta | |
| Domzale 2 - 0 F91 Dudelange | |
| IFK Goteborg 4 - 0 Murata | |
| Modrica 2 - 1 Dinamo Tirana | |
| Dinamo Zagreb 1 - 1 Linfield | |
| Valur Reykjavik 0 - 1 BATE | |
| Tuesday 22nd July | |
| UEFA Champions League Qualifying | |
| FK Ventspils 4 - 0 Llanelli | |
| Rabotnicki Kometal 1 - 1 Inter | |
| FC Sheriff 4 - 0 Aktobe | |
| FBK Kaunas 3 - 1 Santa Coloma | |
| NSI Runavik 1 - 0 Dinamo Tbilisi | |
| Wednesday 16th July | |
| UEFA Champions League Qualifying | |
| Dinamo Tbilisi 3 - 0 NSI Runavik | |
| Aktobe 1 - 0 FC Sheriff | |
| Drogheda Utd 2 - 1 Levadia Tallinn | |
| Linfield 0 - 2 Dinamo Zagreb | |
| Tuesday 15th July | |
| UEFA Champions League Qualifying | |
| Inter 0 - 0 Rabotnicki Kometal | |
| Tampere United 2 - 1 Buducnost Podgorica | |
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Drogheda United will meet Dynamo Kiev in the second qualifying round, but Linfield are out.
Llanelli's Champions League adventure is over, while FBK Kaunas set up a meeting with Rangers.
John Terry has admitted that he wakes up thinking about his penalty miss in the Champions League final.
New signing Kyle Lafferty will miss the start of Rangers' UEFA Champions League campaign with a back injury.
There were mixed fortunes for Irish sides, with Drogheda United winning but Linfield losing.