Drogba named in Ivory Coast squad

Ivory Coast have named injured striker Didier Drogba in a 23-man squad for a friendly against Guinea this week.

The Chelsea forward was included in the team even though club manager Luiz Felipe Scolari expects him to return from the knee injury after 31 August.

The injury kept him out of Sunday's 4-0 win over Portsmouth in the opening Premier League match.

Drogba missed his country's four World Cup qualifiers on successive weekends in June.

Also returning to the Ivorian squad are Aruna Dindane, Arouna Kone, Bakary Kone and Barcelona midfielder Gneri Yaya Toure, who underwent back surgery in May.

Coach Vahid Halilhodzic, who only took charge in May, handed a surprise recall to Levante's Felix Ettien Djah, who won three caps in 2001 but has not played again.

The friendly at Chantilly on the outskirts of the French capital on Wednesday is a warm-up for the Ivorians' next World Cup qualifier, away to Mozambique on 7 September.

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