Drogba: Blues brawn helping me back

DIDIER DROGBA has broken his silence on the stress of playing since contracting malaria in October and how the culture of physical strength at Chelsea has helped him play through the pain barrier.

The Ivorian forward, who finished as the Premier League’s top scorer with 29 goals last season, has looked a shadow of his former self in recent months, which has coincided with a dip in Chelsea’s results.

He did score for the reigning champions in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Everton, which left Chelsea having won only two of their last seven games.

Before his first-half spot-kick, Drogba’s last league goal was in the 2-0 win over Arsenal over eight weeks ago on October 3.

“I have been playing despite having malaria. I had a fever, but I had to help the team,’’ Drogba explained. “I lost four kilograms, I missed training sessions, so I could only play games at 50%. Thankfully, I knew my body well enough not to get injured. I stopped myself pulling off some moves that were too demanding. But sometimes, you just have to concentrate on doing your job.’’

Drogba also claimed that working alongside tough guys like John Terry and Michael Essien has hardened him and allowed him to make sacrifices for the team.

He even played the second leg of the 2007 Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, which Chelsea lost on penalties, with a broken rib.

“The physical impact of our team can scare teams,’’ said Drogba in an interview published in L’Equipe in France. “It’s a cultural thing in this club. John Terry is crazy. Even if the temperature is below freezing, he trains in shorts and a T-shirt, while we wear beanie hats, long trousers and three layers. Being with guys as hard as Terry or Essien has improved my toughness — and so has working for three years under Jose Mourinho. He fires you up so much that you put your heart on the pitch. Now, if you wear a shirt with the same badge as me, I will give everything for you.’’