Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is ready to fully back Danny Sturridge in the opening weeks of the season.
The Mirror says AVB has also been hugely impressed with Sturridge, who Chelsea insiders suggest has returned from his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers a different player.
The Portuguese revealed he had told Sturridge to take more risks in possession rather than opting for the safe choices, and is known to have been impressed by the England Under-21 international's scoring threat.
Sturridge appears to have leapfrogged Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou in the pecking order and could start on the right of an attacking trio completed by Drogba and Malouda once he completes his three-game ban.
