WATCH out Ipswich - Didier Drogba is looking to use tomorrow's FA Cup tie to convince Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari he is back on form and ready to reclaim his regular starting spot.

Derek Davis

WATCH out Ipswich - Didier Drogba is looking to use tomorrow's FA Cup tie to convince Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari he is back on form and ready to reclaim his regular starting spot.

There is increasing speculation over the Ivorian striker's future at Stamford Bridge after he was axed from coach Scolari's last two squads and reports that he could be off-loaded to Manchester City as part of an audacious Chelsea move to land unhappy Brazilian Robinho.

The 30-year-old Drogba feels he is in top form and wants another chance to show he is still one of Europe's leading strikers.

He said: “I've not played for the last two matches and I'm in a hurry to return to my best level and be a first-team regular again.

“If you look back to last May, I've been out for four to six months and it has been very difficult for me.

“But now I feel in top form. I know what I am capable of doing and the real satisfaction for me is that my knee is completely right.”

Scolari was close to signing the 25-year-old Robinho last summer only for the player to join City in a �32.5million deal on the final day of the transfer window.

The Blues are understood to be monitoring Robinho's situation at Eastlands and could be prepared to offer some players in exchange.

City are keen on Drogba, but it is unlikely, as has been reported, that a deal could be struck this month.

Scolari feels Drogba can still play a massive part in their challenge for silverware this season, even though he left him out of the FA Cup third-round replay win over Southend and the subsequent league success over Stoke.

The other dilemma for Chelsea regarding any move for Robinho would concern a FIFA rule which states no player can turn out for three teams in a season.

Robinho played for Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup before going to City and any move to Chelsea would have to come under the scrutiny of FIFA's 'Player Status Committee'.

Robinho left City's training camp in Tenerife earlier this week without permission and returned to Brazil.

The former Santos star has apologised to City manager Mark Hughes and insisted he is committed to the club.

Meanwhile, Branislav Ivanovic's agent, Vlado Borozan, also claims that Hughes wants to buy the Serbian international defender.

Defender Ivanovic is reduced to being a squad player at Chelsea when captain John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho are both fit.

Borozan also revealed that Chelsea have allegedly rejected a �15million offer from AC Milan for his client.

With Joe Cole out for the rest of the season with ruptured ligaments, Chelsea are not likely to stray too much from the side that came back to beat Stoke last week.