Reuters) - Chelsea expect Didier Drogba to be out for three weeks after the Ivory Coast striker underwent knee surgery last week.
"It looks like it will be three weeks, something like that," manager Avram Grant told BBC radio on Monday. "The operation went well, we just need to wait and see."
Drogba, who scored 33 goals in all competitions for Chelsea last season, is keen to play for Ivory Coast at the African Nations Cup in Ghana which runs from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10.
He had the operation on Saturday after his knee locked in training on Friday.
Grant is confident the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro can step in to Drogba''s shoes, starting with Tuesday''s Champions League match at home to Valencia and Sunday''s game at Premier League leaders Arsenal.
"I have confidence in these players but I would also feel more confident if he (Drogba) came back," said Grant. "You know he is quality.
"He is a very important striker for us, even in the last two months he missed three games but I prefer that he is fit and playing."
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Reuters) - Real Madrid and Liverpool have won 14 European Cups between them but need to show their teeth on Tuesday if they are to make the knockout stages of this season''s Champions League.
Nine-times champions Real would be guaranteed a place in the last 16 with a home draw against Lazio in their final Group C match. The Spaniards have won all their matches at the Bernabeu this season and Lazio are likely to struggle.
Werder Bremen, who kept alive their hopes by outpunching Real 3-2 in a thrilling contest late last month, must win at Olympiakos to go through.
Liverpool''s task looks more complicated than Real''s.
The five-times champions might qualify with a draw at Olympique Marseille but need a win to be absolutely sure to survive a tight Group A.
Marseille are in a similar situation and can turn to recent history for inspiration, having stunned Liverpool 1-0 in October, which made them the first French side to win at Anfield.
Liverpool warmed up for the game by losing their unbeaten Premier League record with a 3-1 defeat at mid-table Reading but Marseille will take nothing for granted against a side who have scored 12 goals in their last two European outings.
Porto, showing glimpses of the form that made them the 2004 champions, top the group and receive Besiktas needing just a draw.
Schalke 04 welcome Rosenborg in Group B with the Gelsenkirchen club needing to beat the Trondheim outfit to survive. A draw would enable the Norwegian team to join group winners Chelsea, hosting Valencia in a meaningless tie.
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(Reuters) - Football Association (FA) officials are set to interview Italian coach Fabio Capello about the vacant job of England manager, media reported on Tuesday.
Already a strong candidate, the former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Juventus coach''s stock has risen after former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho withdrew on Monday from the race for the England hotseat.
Several newspapers reported that the FA would be meeting Capello this week, although fellow Italian Marcello Lippi, who steered Italy to their 2006 World Cup triumph, is also seen as a candidate.
Capello has expressed his interest in the England job following last month''s sacking of Steve McClaren for his failure to steer the team to next year''s European Championship.
"It would be a beautiful challenge. I am the right age," Capello told the Gazzetta dello Sport last month.
The 61-year-old Italian is seen as a tough disciplinarian who sets great store by a team''s defensive strengths.
He was dismissed as Real coach at the end of last season despite winning the Spanish title and has been working as a commentator for Italy''s Rai television.
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(Reuters) - Barcelona reclaimed second spot in the Primera Liga behind arch-rivals Real Madrid after they maintained their 100 percent record at the Nou Camp with a 2-1 comeback win over Deportivo Coruna on Sunday.
Deportivo silenced the home crowd when they took a shock lead in the third minute, former Barca youth teamer Cristian beating Victor Valdes with a 20-metre swerver, but Barca equalised through a Ronaldinho penalty just before the break.
Depor looked as though they might hold out for a draw until midfielder Xavi side-footed home from close range 20 minutes from time after keeper Gustavo Munua had tipped a Carles Puyol cross into his path.
Barca striker Samuel Eto''o returned to action after over three months out with a thigh injury and came through unscathed.
Champions Real, who won 1-0 away at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, lead the table on 35 points, four clear of Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid moved into third spot, a point further back, after a 1-0 win over neighbours Getafe in a bad-tempered match at the Calderon in which four players were sent off.
Javier Aguirre''s side clinched their barely deserved victory thanks to a well worked goal from Diego Forlan in the first half but the win was overshadowed by the dismissal of two players from each side in the space of 12 second-half minutes.
Atletico striker Sergio Aguero was the first to go when he picked up a second booking midway through the second half and Getafe defender Lucas Licht followed him down the tunnel for the same reason eight minutes later.
Getafe keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri was given his marching orders for a handball outside the area and Atletico winger Jose Antonio Reyes completed the display of indiscipline when he was shown a straight red moments later for a wild tackle.
Villarreal dropped to fourth after they went down 1-0 at home to struggling Real Betis who replaced Hector Cuper with reserve team boss Paco Chaparro after last weekend''s defeat at home to Atletico.
Espanyol missed their chance to overtake Villarreal when they surrendered a two-goal advantage to draw 3-3 against Real Zaragoza at La Romareda.
Zaragoza took an early lead through Argentine striker Diego Milito but looked to be down and out when Espanyol hit back with three goals in the space of seven minutes.
Raul Tamudo claimed the first on eight minutes when he lobbed into the top corner from the left side of the area, Valdo added a second with a superb curler and Pablo Zabaleta ghosted in at the far post to make it 3-1 before a quarter of an hour was up.
Zaragoza suffered a further setback when midfielder Peter Luccin was sent off at the start of the second half but Espanyol failed to take advantage and Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira struck twice in the last four minutes to earn his side a point.