"Drogba is better...he has been working every day with the fitness coach. I think next Sunday it would be difficult for him but maybe against Tottenham (Aug. 31) he could play 30 to 45 minutes," Scolari said at the club's training ground.

Drogba's Ivory Coast coach Vahid Halilhodzic had suggested on Wednesday that the striker would be out for another six weeks with his knee injury.