The Ivorian striker, axed from coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's last two squads, is expected to return for their FA Cup fourth round tie against Coca-Cola Championship side Ipswich on Saturday.

Drogba's future was again under scrutiny today with speculation that he could be offloaded to Manchester City as part of an audacious Chelsea move to land unhappy Brazilian Robinho.

Scolari was close to signing the 25-year-old last summer only for the player to join City in a £32.5million deal on the final day of the transfer window.

The Blues are understood to be monitoring Robinho's situation at Eastlands and could be prepared to offer some players in exchange.

City are keen on Drogba, but it is unlikely, as has been reported, that a deal could be struck this month.

Scolari feels Drogba can still play a massive part in their challenge for silverware this season, even though he left him out of the FA Cup third round replay win over Southend and the subsequent league success over Stoke.

Scolari's faith is underlined by Drogba's own intentions to return to action.

The 30-year-old feels he is in top form and wants another chance to show he is still one of Europe's leading strikers.

"I've not played for the last two matches and I'm in a hurry to return to my best level and be a first-team regular again," he said.

"If you look back to last May, I've been out for four to six months and it has been very difficult for me.

"But now I feel in top form. I know what I am capable of doing and the real satisfaction for me is that my knee is completely right."

The other dilemma for Chelsea regarding any move for Robinho this month would concern a FIFA rule which states no player can turn out for three teams in a season.

Robinho played for Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup before going to City and any move to Chelsea would have to come under the scrutiny of FIFA's 'Player Status Committee'.

Robinho left City's training camp in Tenerife earlier this week without permission and returned to Brazil.

The former Santos star has apologised to City manager Mark Hughes and insisted he is committed to the club.

Meanwhile, Branislav Ivanovic's agent, Vlado Borozan, also claims that Hughes wants to buy the Serbian international defender.

Defender Ivanovic is reduced to being a squad player when captain John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho are both fit.

Borozan also revealed that Chelsea have allegedly rejected a £15million offer from AC Milan for his client.

Borozan said: "There is something going on with Manchester City, but Chelsea already refused a £15million offer from AC Milan."