Didier Drogba (11/2 Premiership Top Goalscorer) is set to miss the start of Chelsea‘s Premier League campaign after undergoing surgery on a troublesome groin problem.

The reigning champions have described the procedure as “minimally invasive” but the 32-year-old Ivory Coast international is still expected to be missing for around three weeks.

Therefore Chelsea will definitely be without Drogba for the Community Shield match against Manchester United (Chelsea 11/10, Man United 2/1, draw 9/4 Match Betting) on August 8, while he will probably be absent from their opening league fixtures too.

Chelsea released a short statement to confirm that Drogba had been struggling with the groin injury for part of last season and the decision to have the operation on Friday was intended to “optimise his rehabilitation”.