Didier Drogba's staying to keep up Chelsea's fight for silverware

Roaring success: Didier Drogba celebrates scoring Chelsea's opener against Newcastle at St James' Park
11 April 2012

Didier Drogba is adamant he won't be leaving Chelsea in the January transfer window and is committed to the club until the end of the season.

It has been reported that Drogba could be sold in the new year as Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas looks to make more changes to his squad.

The Portuguese has already accepted the transfer requests of Alex and Nicolas Anelka after making it clear they would not be part of his long-term plans.

Bolton defender Gary Cahill is the main target to replace Alex as this paper first revealed in July after captain John Terry gave the club his personal recommendation for the England international's signing.

But Villas-Boas still wants Drogba, whose current deal expires at the end of the campaign, to stay even though contract talks over an extension have broken down. Significantly, Drogba has started four of the last five games up front with Fernando Torres only making the first XI for the Carling Cup defeat against Liverpool.

The Ivory Coast international has scored in two of those four matches, including the opening goal in the 3-0 win at Newcastle on Saturday and he is determined to stay and help the club challenge for silverware.

Drogba said: "I always said that I will honour my contract with Chelsea until the very end and for the moment, the end is in 2012.

"But I am fine here and my personal case is not an important factor for me. The important thing is to try and get Chelsea back to the summit of the Premier League.

"Has all the talk of Chelsea struggling been exaggerated? No, it's fact. We have been struggling, that is part of the game. You can't be fresh and win every match but I hope [the win against Newcastle] it is the end of our crisis.

"We have to keep the aspects we did in the game against Newcastle. We defended well and the team was strong. Even if we made mistakes we were all together trying to correct them.

"We had a bit more luck than in the other games. A win away against Newcastle, who are a very good team, is good for our confidence and good for us to prepare for our Champions League game against Valencia."

The huge match against Valencia at Stamford Bridge tomorrow night could see Chelsea fail to make the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Only a win or 0-0 draw will be good enough to avoid the ignominy of dropping into the Europa League.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech admits the win against Newcastle has put the team in a good frame of mind ahead of what he sees as one of the biggest games of his Chelsea career.

He said: "We needed a good result against Newcastle and I hope this is the moment that could stop the series of setbacks we've been suffering.

"This match showed we are strong enough to find a way out of it but we can't be so naive as to think that everything will turn for the good after one victory. It has been just the first step.

"It's pleasant to have a second clean sheet in a row [in the Premier League] as well as a second win. We showed we could still play football but tomorrow we have another 'battle for our lives' in the Champions League."

John Obi Mikel is confident Chelsea will progress to the next phase. The midfielder said: "We are walking a tightrope now and have to go all out to win the last game at home against Valencia. We need to win because any score draw won't be good for us.

"The Champions League is the ultimate. That is the only trophy we have not won and everybody wants it. We have come close to it but winning it this term would be great.

"The owner, manager, fans and the players and everybody around here talk about winning the Champions League. I'm sure that is our main target. We are doing well and I think we will win it.

"We are getting back to good form. We made some costly mistakes which we have worked on."

Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa is doubtful tomorrow night having missed training today with an abductor strain.

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