Scolari Still Invite Robinho

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari still hasn’t given up on his summer target Robinho and announced that the Stamfort Bridge side's doors are “always open for him ”.

Chelsea were linked with the Brazilian international attacker throughout the summer but on the final day of the transfer window, Manchester City snatched the player for a 32million deal from Real Madrid.

During that time Scolari was fuming with Anger for not having being able to bring Robinho to Stamford Bridge and claimed that the former Real Madrid man could have been the best player in the world if he was at Chelsea.

"I am sure that Robinho would be the best player in the world if he came to play at Chelsea," he told Brazilian daily O Globo. "The Chelsea doors are always open to him."

The Drog Returns Again!

Didier Drogba is set to return to the Chelsea side as they prepare to face Champions League opponents Bordeaux on Wednesday. The Ivorian has missed the first match in a three game ban that was imposed after he threw a coin into the crowd during the Carling Cup match at Stamford Bridge in which Chelsea were beaten by Burnley.

However, the ban does not apply to European matches and, after Chelsea could only stutter to a goal-less draw last Saturday against Newcastle, manager Phil Scolari will be hoping that Drogba will give his attack the bite that they lacked in the league game.

His team mate Florent Malouda has spoken in support of Drogba's return saying: It will be a good thing for us because with what is happening now. I think he will be angry and show he has things to do for the team."

The French winger continued: "Didier is the type of player who can find a solution when you play these teams but as you can see Nicolas Anelka is doing well at this moment."

He added: "We had the players and the mentality to reach victory against Newcastle but we have to keep on trying and we hope the next game at home will find the solution."

Didier Drogba was wrong, but blame the fan

Chelsea striker deserves to be punished but whoever threw coin at Stamford Bridge is real villain of the piece

All the talk is about how long Didier Drogba's ban should be and that's taking the focus away from the person who started the whole thing - the fan who threw the coin at him.

There's no doubt Drogba was irresponsible and deserves to be punished by the FA, though not in my opinion the police. But it would be ridiculous if he paid a heavier penalty than David Norris, the Ipswich Town player who made the “handcuffs” sign in support of Luke McCormick, the goalkeeper who was sent to prison for causing the deaths of two kids in a car accident. That idiotic gesture must have been premeditated on some level while Drogba's was spontaneous. To me, Norris's behaviour was worse.

Incidents of players abusing fans, as the Chelsea striker did, are very rare while week in, week out, footballers are on the receiving end of disgusting abuse. It's human nature that occasionally some will crack. I certainly did a couple of times in my playing days. When Eric Cantona karate-kicked that Crystal Palace fan, a lot of players thought: “Good on you, Eric.” No player runs on to the pitch planning to start trouble with supporters, but at every game a percentage of fans turn up intending to dish out verbal abuse or worse.

In my Millwall days in the 1980s, I remember warming up at Upton Park and fans in the Chicken Run terrace were calling out my name for ages until I finally looked round - and 30 of them chorused “w***er”. Apparently they used to do it to someone every week, like it was their hobby. Grown men.

During a game at The Den, David Byrne, our winger, told a Millwall fan who was running along the terrace and giving him stick to “f*** off”. The fan took out a knife and said he was going to “do him” after the match. David went as white as a ghost.

Footballers don't worry about security arrangements at stadiums, but deep down they know that if a fan really wants to invade the pitch and get at them, he will. It is a shame that Aston Villa were not able to catch the supporter who threw a coin at Harry Redknapp last month and hit an assistant referee. A heavy punishment for that might have made the Burnley supporter think twice.

Drogba is not a popular player. He's done and said some daft things, but he wasn't trying to wind up the Burnley fans - he scored and in the adrenalin rush that followed he probably didn't realise where he was celebrating. He's got a big ego, so he's not the kind of character to laugh off having something chucked at him, spoiling his moment of glory. He reacted because he felt insulted.

Drogba must be held accountable, but he's not the main villain here. Stop fans abusing players and you stop the problem of players being pushed past breaking point.

Old foes Germany and England are in friendly mode - Feature

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Berlin - Neither Germany nor England will be at full strength when they meet on Wednesday in a match both coaches will use to test some new players. However a meeting between the two old foes is never one to dismiss even though the friendly nature of the international will be more pronounced than previous meetings.

"Everyone has told me that it is not a friendly game against Germany, but I think this will be a friendly game," England manager Fabio Capello said. "We will do some experiments and after this game I will know better some different players."Germany coach Joachim Loew has some experimentation of his own planned, with new caps likely for some or all of the three players called up for the first time.

England will be without Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in midfield, who has a rib injury, as well as the Manchester United pair Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand. Captain John Terry, who was a doubt, is now expected to play, but Chelsea teammates Ashley and Joe Cole are missing with hamstring injuries, while Manchester United defender Wes Brown and Wigan striker Emile Heskey are among others absent.

There was no place in Capello's squad for former captain David Beckham, who is one cap away from equalling Bobby Moore's tally of 108 caps, and striker Michael Owen has again been overlooked. The injuries prompted Capello to call up Fulham's Jimmy Bullard and Scott Parker of West Ham United on Monday. Germany meanwhile are without captain Michael Ballack and defender Philipp Lahm, whose recoveries from injuries have come too late for Wednesday's match at the Berlin Olympic Stadium.

Loew also left out Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings, and there were some surprises when the names of Hoffenheim pair Marvin Compper and Tobias Weis along with Wolfsburg's Marcel Schaefer appeared on the roster. Schaefer, who could fill in for Lahm at left-back, is seen as having the best chance of starting. The Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese, who had featured in recent squads but has yet to make his debut, can also hope for some action at some stage. "It is important that all our energy is focused on this match. I haven't seen an England team as strong as this for several years," Loew said.

"England are the team of the moment. They have made an incredibly strong impression. They are compact, get forward quickly and are technically very good."Loew is using the occasion to lay down the law at a team meeting on how he expects his players to behave from now on. It follows a turbulent time for the coach in which he has had to meet Ballack and Frings over critical media interviews, and deal with the walk-out of striker Kevin Kuranyi. The Schalke forward will not be returning as long as Loew is in charge, the coach confirmed Monday.

There will be "no new rules" but some guidelines set down on what Loew expects from his players from now on. "I will say that we are gladly prepared to talk about possible problems internally but not via the media," he said. Germany have never beaten England in Berlin in seven previous attempts but Loew is convinced his side will end the year on a positive note. "To play against England in such a large stadium is always something special," he said.

Although England will be without several first-choice players "they have a team which has not been as strong for a long time," he said. Having started the World Cup qualifying campaign with four wins, Capello sees the match as an ideal opportunity to test some fresh faces. The decision to call up Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne - who has yet to play for the Blues and is currently on loan at Championship side Wolves - was a surprise.

Uncapped Aston Villa duo Curtis Davies, 23, and Gabriel Agbonlahor, 22, also add to the youthful nature of the England squad which also features Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent and Manchester City's Micah Richards. Capello will be hoping the newcomers can tap into the new-found confidence in the England camp. "I think the confidence of the players is different now," he said. "I remember the first time we played against Switzerland and we played without confidence. "But now we have played and won four qualifiers for the World Cup, and I can see the confidence in the players. This is the most important thing."

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard out of England’s friendly match with Germany

The midfielder has been ruled out for seven to 10 days and so should be available to feature in Liverpool’s next game - the meeting with Fulham at Anfield the following weekend.

Liverpool spokesman Ian Cotton said: “Steven picked up an injury in yesterday’s game at Bolton.

“A scan this morning has confirmed a tear in the adductor magnus muscle in his right leg, and he is expected to be out between seven to 10 days.”

The central midfield places are likely to be taken in his absence by Gareth Barry and the in-form Frank Lampard. David Beckham was left out of the squad due to his lack of recent competitive action.

Manchester United pair Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, neither of whom featured in the weekend’s victory over Stoke City, have already been forced to withdraw from the squad due to illness and injury respectively and John Terry, too, is only rated as 50-50 at best to start the game.

“Rio did his back in training on Friday and Wayne has a chest infection and a calf strain so we have pulled them out,” said United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Terry still hopes to be available, despite needing a scan to asses the damage done to his foot during Chelsea’s 3-0 win over West Brom.

“I got shoved in the air and landed awkwardly,” said Terry.

“It felt like a sharp pain in the bottom of my foot which is throbbing at the moment. But I will have a scan and hopefully it will give me the all clear.

“I am desperate to go away with England for the game with Germany as I’ve missed our last two matches. I have not been ruled out.”