Drogba and Deco axed by Chelsea

Didier Drogba and Deco paid the price for Chelsea’s heavy defeat by Manchester United at the weekend by being left out of the squad for the club’s FA Cup third round replay at Southend on Wednesday.

Both players were marginal figures at Old Trafford with Deco – who was bought by Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari last summer after he replaced Avram Grant as boss – being substituted at half-time in what finished as a 3-0 defeat.

Scolari also rang the changes in defence with another of his former Portugal players Ricardo Carvalho relegated to the bench and Brazilian centre-back Alex brought in alongside John Terry.

The dropping of Drogba will inevitably fuel speculation that the striker, who has frequently expressed a desire to leave Chelsea, could be on course for a reunion with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.