Di Matteo shrugs off ‘unfair’ Blues jibes

Roberto Di Matteo yesterday insisted there was no need to “have a word” with Didier Drogba about his antics in Chelsea’s Champions League win over Barcelona.

Caretaker boss Di Matteo revealed Drogba picked up a genuine injury in Wednesday night’s semi-final first leg that has left him in a race against time to be fit for Tuesday’s return leg.

Drogba was hailed and castigated in almost equal measure after his Jekyll-and-Hyde performance that saw him score the winner but also roll around theatrically several times after being ‘challenged’.

Asked if he would have a conversation with Drogba about his tendency to go down, Di Matteo said: “No, because I don’t see any reason why I should have a conversation like that.

“Our players, I think, are fair players. Everybody has his own style but I think we are a fair team.”

Di Matteo admitted he did not know whether the 34-year-old would be back for the trip to the Nou Camp.

Meanwhile, Drogba’s agent has claimed the striker’s recent heroics will convince Chelsea to bow to his contract demands.

Drogba looked certain to quit the Blues this summer after they refused to offer him more than a one-year extension to his current deal, which expires at the end of the season.

But agent Thierno Seidy was confident Chelsea would now pull out all the stops to keep Drogba after his goals this week helped lead them to the FA Cup final and to the brink of the Champions League final.