Drogba and Lampard ruled out

Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard are out of tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Blackburn at Stamford Bridge.

Ivorian striker Drogba has not recovered sufficiently from the knee injury he sustained against Aston Villa a fortnight ago and Lampard is still struggling with the thigh problem which kept him out of England’s Euro 2008 qualifiers.

Ricardo Carvalho (thigh), Michael Ballack (ankle) and Wayne Bridge (ankle) miss out, Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro is a doubt as he was yet to return from international duty, while Andriy Shevchenko is included in the squad.

Provisional squad: Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Ferreira, Belletti, Terry, Alex, Ben Haim, Essien, Sidwell, A Cole, J Cole, Wright-Phillips, Shevchenko, Kalou, Pizarro, Obi, Malouda, Makelele.