Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou has urged his club and
international team-mate Didier Drogba to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Drogba's future has been the subject of intense speculation with AC
Milan believed to be the favoured destination of the Ivory Coast
striker. But Drogba's fellow Ivory Coast international wants him to
remain part of the Chelsea revolution under coach Avram
Grant.
"I enjoy playing alongside him and I have learned a lot with
Didier, but he will make his decision," said Kalou. "We will
support him whatever his decision is. We don't really talk about
contract things but I would love him to stay. He will make the
decision but I hope that he will stay with us.
Joe Cole is the only player to have made more than Kalou's 47
appearances for Chelsea this season and yet he is not guaranteed a
place in coach Avram Grant's starting line-up in Moscow next
Wednesday.
Kalou is facing competition from French winger Florent Malouda
but he insists he will be happy to start on the bench if he has to.
"It doesn't matter if I start or come in, the most important thing
is to bring quality to the game," said Kalou. "I am working hard to
be in the first XI. Even if I am on the bench I will still focus on
the game and try to make the difference. "It is my first big final
and I am really excited to play. I am working hard on the pitch to
show the manager I can start.
"I think United have a really good team and have had a really
good season. They are a strong team, and the defensive part of
Manchester is great. "Then you have people like Ronaldo who can
score in any game, so they deserve to be where they are right
now.
Kalou believes Chelsea have already had a massive psychological
boost ahead of their showdown with the Premier League champions
after captain John Terry and Drogba revealed they would be fit
enough to play. "To have John and Didier on the pitch gives more
power to Chelsea, more confidence to attack a great final. We need
them and when the day comes they will be ready for the game," added
Kalou, who reserved his biggest praise for under-fire boss
Grant.
Speculation continues to circulate that the 52-year-old Israeli
will be moved upstairs in the summer and a new manager appointed.
Grant insists he has a four-year contract and will be in charge of
the side next season. But Kalou is under no illusions about the
talent of the man who has led Chelsea to their first Champions
League final.
"This season I played more on the left side, with Jose
[Mourinho] I played more as a striker, so he tried to put me in one
position and improve there," said the 22-year-old. "He talked to me
a lot in training and there are a lot of things I can improve,
that's the thing I didn't have before, I managed to defend and
attack as well. That's something more I've brought to my game.
"I think Avram has done great. He came to the club and managed
to get the team to the final. We know it wasn't easy for him with
all the critics but he managed to stay calm and push his team to
the next game. "If I had to talk from my own feeling I think he did
a great job. He is good and brings something extra to what Jose
did. He made every player fight for his position. "He is a really
calm person so we manage to be really calm and focused on our
goal."
