FRANK LAMPARD has warned Luiz Felipe Scolari not to alienate Didier Drogba because on his day the Ivorian is “the best striker in the world”.

Scolari, the Chelsea manager, sparked controversy on Wednesday when he omitted Drogba from the squad he took to Southend United for their FA Cup third-round replay, a fixture the London team won 4-1.

Drogba was disappointed but philosophical about the decision and he accepts that he must work to regain his form and fitness after only recently coming back from his latest knee injury.

However, he will not tolerate it if he is left out of the starting line-up for the upcoming Champions League last-16 ties against Juventus. Chelsea entertain the Italian club on February 25th at Stamford Bridge before they travel to Turin for the return leg on March 10th.

Scolari faces an exacting test of his man-management because Drogba would seriously question his future if he were to be a bit-part player in the competition that he is desperate to win with Chelsea.

“Any manager who wants success, and I have played for some top managers . . . they have a right to drop someone, put them on the bench, rest them or whatever,” said Lampard, the influential midfielder.

“Didier is a good personality and he will take it in the right way. Hopefully, he will come back like before because when he is at his best, he is one of the best if not the best striker in the world. You always want those sort of people around.”

Scolari has made it plain that he wants to work with a lone striker in a 4-1-4-1 formation and he must effectively choose between Drogba and Nicolas Anelka for the role, as his efforts to incorporate the French international forward Anelka in a wide position have failed.

The Brazilian said on the eve of Chelsea’s trip to Southend that he had given all of his main players a run in the team, that he had formulated conclusions about his strongest line-up and he would play it at Roots Hall and, most likely, again against Stoke City at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League tomorrow. Drogba’s failure even to travel with the squad on Wednesday appeared ominous.

Drogba is simply keen at present to turn back the clock to the 2006-’07 season, when he scored 33 goals in all competitions for Chelsea, and to try to be patient.

“At the moment, there is Anelka who is scoring goals, I know that I have to wait my turn,” he said, in a recent interview with France Football.

“If not, how do you explain to a player who has scored about 15 goals that he has to lose his place to a player who is coming back from a long-term injury.”

“I know when I am fit and in form, and when I am not,” the forward added.

“I also know that I am not going to be disappointed not to be picked when I don’t merit it. But if I show the coach that I am fully fit and then I don’t play, it becomes more complicated.”

Lampard added: “It is about being a man, having a bit of personality and showing what we are about. We did that at Southend, having gone 1-0 down.”

• Guardian Service