Sven: No special plans for Drogba

Sven Goran Eriksson has no plans to deploy a man-marker on Didier Drogba as Manchester City look to record their first win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 1993.

With his mind fully focused on the Londoners once more after apologising for his sensational quit threat, Drogba is predictably one of the key figures behind Chelsea's recent resurgence.

The Ivory Coast star has scored in the Blues' last three games and represents a major threat to City's chances of ending their 14-year drought and Chelsea's record 67-game unbeaten Barclays Premier League run on home soil.

However, Eriksson is refusing to change his tactics to cater for one player, especially as he feels Avram Grant's side have plenty of other threats to contend with.

"We have spoken about Drogba but we will not mark him man for man," said Eriksson.

"We are aware of his strength, his technique and his pace. We know if you take the wrong position against him, it is goodnight, so we have to pay a lot of attention to him.

"But I do not see the point in changing many things because Chelsea are not just Drogba. They are a strong side everywhere and we have always known that."

Although City currently lie in third spot, four points ahead of tomorrow's opponents, they have not won away from Eastlands since they beat West Ham on the opening day of the season.

Should the Blues record a second triumph in the capital this term, then people really will start to sit up and take notice of the Eriksson revolution.

Not that the Swede is getting too carried away, either by thoughts of a place in next season's Champions League or the prospect of beating Chelsea.

Neither has Eriksson spoken to old friend, and new Chelsea boss Avram Grant; at least not this week.

As he confirmed at the time of Grant's appointment as Jose Mourinho's successor, the pair go back a long way.

At the time, when Eriksson backed Grant to make a success of the job, few pundits agreed. Not for the first time though, hindsight is proving Eriksson to be more astute than many give him credit for.

"Everyone knows Jose Mourinho is a very good manager," he observed.

"Avram is less famous but he is a sensible man and I do not think there will be any problems for him in the future.

"I spoke to him when he took over, and a little bit after that as well. But I won't be speaking to him this week, I don't think it would be right."