Drogba's diagnosis will be a boost for Chelsea

Chelsea expect striker Didier Drogba to be out for "weeks, not months" after he picked up a knee injury in the Champions League game against CFR Cluj.

It was initially feared he had suffered serious knee ligament injury damage in the 0-0 draw with the Romanian side.

But a Chelsea statement said: "He will not be requiring surgery.

"We will keep him under observation before putting an estimate on how long he'll be out, but we're certainly looking at weeks, not months."

The statement added: "Didier Drogba has had two forceful rotations in his knee and ankle. Fortunately, he has avoided any significant ligamentus rupture."

The assessment of Drogba's injury will be a boost to the striker who was making only his third start since undergoing a knee operation in the summer.

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Chelsea, who are already missing injury victims Joe Cole, Deco, Michael Essien and Ricardo Carvalho, face in-form Aston Villa at home in the Premier League on Sunday.

John Terry and Alex suffered knocks in the Cluj game, but Chelsea's manager Luis Felipe Scolari is confident Ashley Cole will be fit for the weekend after missing Wednesday's Champions League match with a back problem.