Don´t make us favourites yet: Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari insists it is too early to start billing Chelsea as Premier League title favourites.

Scolari's unbeaten league leaders are most bookmakers' tip for the title and their stunning 5-0 demolition of Middlesbrough on Saturday will only have shortened the odds on them wresting the crown away from Manchester United.

But the Brazilian coach is anxious to dampen expectations with two-thirds of the season still to run, and he insisted: “We're not the favourites. We've got so many games in front of us, and we have to take one at a time.”

Chelsea haven't lost in the league for 10 months, but the manager says he will only start to believe he can claim the title in his first season in charge if they remain in pole position as the campaign reaches its climax in May.

He added: “If we're six points in front after 35 or 36 games, then I'd say we're favourites, okay. But before then, we need to play every game as if it's our last of the season and see where that takes us because there's still such a long way to go.”

Chelsea's latest convincing win, which came despite the absence of 100 million pounds of talent through injury, will not be lost on their title rivals.

But Scolari added: “I don't think about Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool, I'm just thinking about my team.

“I'm not really looking to see how they're doing, because my job is with Chelsea. I don't think this result sends out a message to them, but more to me that the players who I brought into the team can do a job as regulars if needed.

“It's fantastic for us because I put some players in who haven't played many games, and they showed me they're in good shape for the first team. That's what I want, a good spirit in the group because we're not just an 11, we're a squad.”

Two goals from Salomon Kalou and others from Juliano Belletti, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda ensured Middlesbrough were outclassed by a Chelsea side missing seven first-team regulars.

Despite the five-star display, Scolari is happy for Chelsea to grind their way to the title, and he added: “If we win all our games 1-0 until the end of the season we'll be the Champions.”

Didier Drogba is set for an imminent return from injury as Chelsea's casualty list at last shows signs of easing.

Wednesday's Champions League meting with AS Roma comes too soon, but the striker hasn't yet been ruled out of next Sunday's Premier League meeting with title rivals Liverpool.

Scolari revealed: “In another week I should have Drogba, I hope he's okay for the Liverpool game, or it might be one more week before he's back.”

The quality of Chelsea's performance was no consolation to Boro boss Gareth Southgate, who described the defeat as a “humiliation,” and warned that his side must improve if they are to avoid slipping back towards the relegation battle.

“You lose at home and it is hard to take,” said the former England defender. “But when you are beaten like that, it is a very humbling experience for all of us.

“There's a danger when you play a side of Chelsea's class that that can happen, but I don't think they had to be at their best, and yet they annihilated us.”

He added: “It's a lonely place when you are standing on the touchline and your own fans are very disgruntled with things, and understandably so. It's painful, but we have to learn from the experience as a group.”