Jose Mourinho: 'Didier Drogba has been fantastic'

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has praised striker Didier Drogba for the "fabulous way" in which he has handled the club's injury crisis in attack.

Mourinho was without Diego Costa and Loic Remy for the matches with Manchester United and Shrewsbury Town, leaving the Ivorian to play 180 minutes in the space of just over 48 hours.

However, after the 36-year-old netted in both fixtures, Mourinho has revealed that he is grateful for the forward's efforts during the past seven days.

The 51-year-old told reporters: "Me, the owner, the board, him - we all decided together for him to come back. We believed in him and he believed in himself and that he could still be important.

"He has been fantastic for us in the last week when we were in real trouble, without Costa and without Remy. He had to do what no one should do - play 90 minutes of football with 48 hours difference - and he managed to do that in a fabulous way."

With Costa scheduled to return against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, Drogba is likely to drop down to the substitutes' bench.