Chelsea head for Asia without Drogba

CHELSEA have left for their pre-season tour of Asia without striker Didier Drogba.

The 30-year-old, who scored eight times in the Premier League last season, has been linked with a transfer away from Stamford Bridge this summer, although the Blues claim his absence from the trip is due to the need to recover from a knee injury.

Drogba’s omission seems certain to raise further questions about his future, however, with a virtually full-strength squad travelling to play games in China and Malaysia before returning to Europe for the Railways Cup in Moscow.

Another player rumoured to be on his way from the Londoners, Inter Milan target Frank Lampard, is included in the party.

New boys Deco and Jose Bosingwa are in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s squad, while Michael Ballack will link up with them in China after finishing a post-Euro 2008 holiday.

Scolari will take charge of his first match as Chelsea manager on Wednesday against Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals. “The players are not ready yet totally, but we are starting to build a new team and a new philosophy,” the Brazilian said. “This is just the beginning, and I expect after these five games that I will have a general idea about all the players and a system.”

Meanwhile, Deco has revealed he turned down lucrative offers from America and Saudi Arabia to move to Stamford Bridge.

The Portuguese international joined Chelsea earlier this summer after being allowed to leave Barcelona.

Deco claims a number of MLS sides and Saudi Arabian clubs were keen on signing him, but he opted to sign for Chelsea as he wants to add to his medal haul.

“If I wanted to go somewhere for the money I wouldn’t have come to Chelsea,” said Deco. “There were many other places that offered much more money, the money I wanted I could have gone to Saudi Arabia or the United States.

“It’s not about the money. Obviously money is important, but not that important, I have plenty of money, more than I need, so for me I wanted to go to a place where I could have better objectives and to still have this challenge to win games.

“If I wanted money I could have stayed in Barcelona — I had two years left on my contract, which was a lovely contract.

“It was a sunny and lovely place to live, but I want to have new challenges, more objectives and the will to win more trophies and that is why I came to Chelsea. If it was for money I would have gone somewhere else.”