Didier Drogba: Chelsea Will Cope Just Fine During African Cup Of Nations

Despite the prospect of losing up to four key first-team players, striker Didier Drogba believes Chelsea will be able to cope when their African contingent compete in the Africa Cup of Nations at the turn of the year.

Drogba and Salomon Kalou will both be representing Ivory Coast, Michael Essien will be Ghana's golden boy, while Nigeria - should they qualify - could demand John Obi Mikel.

According to Drogba, Chelsea will fare fine in their absence.

"It will be tough for me to go," he explained to The Guardian. "I want to help my team, to play and score goals for my team but this is part of my career and to represent the national team is also really important for me.

"It will be difficult for me to leave, but at the same time I have to do it because it’s a big event for Africans and I want to be there.

"[Chelsea] will do the job without me. The team is winning without me already [in the Champions League] and that is fantastic.

"We think about the situation sometimes, but it is up to the club to find a solution. We only want the club to succeed and be top of the league all season."