Jose Mourinho heaped praise on striker Didier Drogba ahead of Chelsea's crucial Champions League clash against Valencia on Tuesday. "Drogba is more than a goalscorer in my opinion. Even if he doesn't score his contribution to the team is crucial,” Mourinho was quoted as saying by BBC Sport on Tuesday. "In the last game against Tottenham he didn't score but his work rate was unbelievable." The Ivorian international, scored a much needed equalizer for Chelsea in the first-leg against Valencia at Stamford Bridge after David Silva gave the guests an unexpected lead. His strong performance in that game and others has made him an admiration for Mourinho who said the player was indispensable.
Mourinho "The way he fights for the team is superb. He is the kind of player I have to play in every game. I know it can be a disadvantage to us because I could not give him a rest at the weekend," said the Portuguese tactician. Chelsea need to score at least one goal against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium on Tuesday evening to maintain their chances in reaching the semi-finals since a goalless draw will be sufficient to hand their opponents a ticket to the next round. "If the game ends 0-0 Valencia goes to the semi-finals and Chelsea are out," said Mourinho. "This maybe affects the way both teams approach the game." Mourinho will be banking on Drogba and strike partner Andriy Shevchenko to find the net to help Chelsea progress. "We need to score goals to get a result to go through. I know that maybe one goal is enough. But we have to play to score goals."
