Didier Drogba has been named in the Ivory Coast's preliminary squad for next month's African Cup of Nations.
Injured striker included in squad for next month's finals
Didier Drogba has been named in the Ivory Coast's preliminary squad for next month's African Cup of Nations.
The Chelsea striker is currently recovering from knee surgery, but the Ivory Coast are confident Drogba will return to fitness in time to make the tournament in January.
Chelsea boss Avram Grant revealed on Monday that he expected the injury to sideline Drogba for three weeks meaning he would be back in time for the start of the finals on 20th January.
Drogba is joined in the squad by Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou.
There are also five other Premier League-based stars in the squad including Arsenal duo Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, Tottenham's Didier Zokora, Bolton defender Abdoulaye Meite and Reading's Emerse Fae.
The Ivory Coast will face Nigeria, Mali and Benin in Group B.
Full squad:
Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Tiasse Kone, (Africa Sports), Stephan Loboue (SpVgg Greuther Furth), Athur Boka (Stuttgart), Guy Demel
(Hamburg), Constant Djakpa (Pandurii Targu Jiu), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), Steve Gohouri, (Borussia Monchengladbach), Abdoulaye Meite (Bolton Wanderers), Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Marc Zoro (Benfica), Emerse Fae (Reading), Christian Koffi Ndri (Le Mans), Siaka Tiene (St Etienne), Gilles Yapi Yapo (Young Boys Berne), Yaya Toure (Barcelona), Didier Zokora (Tottenham Hotspur), Aruna Dindane (Lens), Amara Diane (Paris Saint Germain), Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou (both Chelsea), Abdelkader Keita (Lyon), Arouna Kone (Sevilla), Bakary Kone (Nice), Gervais Yao Kouassi (Le Mans), Boubacar Sanogo (Werder Bremen).
