Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has insisted that striker Didier Drogba can put his international disappointment behind him and focus on club commitments.
Drogba, 33, was part of the Ivory Coast side that lost the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on penalties to Zambia, but Villas-Boas is hopeful that the striker can recapture the form he was enjoying before he left for international duty.
"A player of his quality and so much involved with Chelsea in the past will always help. In the month of December, he had an extremely good impact. He is a major player for us," said the 34-year-old.
"It is obviously a major disappointment for him. To what extent personally, I don't know. I think there were great prospects for the Ivory Coast to get that trophy for their country.
"It was not possible with the lottery of penalties and, of course, a major disappointment for them for with the dimension of the players that they have."
Drogba joined the Blues in 2004, scoring 150 goals in 323 appearances for the club.
Barney Corkhill
