Source: Daily_Mail
Ivory Coast accuse Chelsea of treating striker Drogba like a 'machine'
Key man: Didier Drogba is the Ivory Coast's talisman[LNB]Ivory Coast boss Vahid Halilhodzic claims Chelsea are running Didier Drogba into the ground and told them to stop using the striker like a 'machine'.[LNB]Halilhodzic is concerned at his key player's fitness ahead of the Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of Nations opener against Burkina Faso.[LNB]The tournament favourties are furious that Drogba has played nine games in five weeks for Chelsea. [LNB]Halilhodzic fears the rest of his players will arrive in Angola later this week already shattered by club football as well.'We are worried for all our players' fitness in the squad, especially players like Drogba, who are always involved in so many matches,' said Halilhodzic. [LNB]'It is unrealistic for a player to play two matches in three days. That kind of fixture list is too demanding for key players like Drogba.[LNB] Over-used? Ivory Coast are angry Drogba has played nine games in five weeks[LNB]'Ten days ago I went to England to discuss it with Didier because I did not want this to continue happening to him. He is a human being, not a machine.'That said, Halilhodzic played Drogba, Manchester City's Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue of Arsenal played in a warm-up against Tanzania on Monday.[LNB] Manchester United flop Juan Sebastian Veron claims to have snubbed Manchester City Ashley Cole guilty of speeding as Chelsea and England star is clocked at over 100mph Bitter blow for Bayern Munich as Chelsea and Manchester City target Franck Ribery suffers another injury setback CHELSEA FC
