CHELSEA have left for their pre-season tour of Asia without striker Didier Drogba.
Drogba's omission seems certain to raise further questions about his future, however, with a virtually full-strength squad travelling to play games in China and Malaysia before returning to Europe for the Railways Cup in Moscow.
Another player rumoured to be on his way from the Londoners, Inter Milan target Frank Lampard, is included in the party.
New boys Deco and Jose Bosingwa are in Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad, while Michael Ballack will link up with them in China after finishing a post-Euro 2008 holiday.
Scolari will take charge of his first match as Chelsea manager on Wednesday against Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals.
"The players are not ready yet totally, but we are starting to build a new team and a new philosophy," the Brazilian told www.chelseafc.com.
"This is just the beginning, and I expect after these five games that I will have a general idea about all the players and a system."
Meanwhile, Italy coach Marcello Lippi says he wants his players to copy the selfless style of Manchester United's England forward Wayne Rooney. "What counts more than the formation is the philosophy, the desire of great players to put themselves at the service of the team when the opposition have the ball. Like Rooney does at Manchester," Lippi told yesteday's Gazzetta dello Sport.
The 2006 World Cup-winning coach, who returned to the Azzurri dugout in place of Roberto Donadoni after Italy's unsuccessful Euro 2008 campaign – they lost to eventual champions Spain in the quarter-finals – said self-belief will be crucial if his side are to triumph again in South Africa in two years' time.
"The first time there is the metaphor of the great hunger. Now we have to find new motivation," he said.
"The team must feel strong. The important thing is that self-confidence does not become presumption, but there's no risk of that."
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