Mark Schwarzer suffers minor injury, leaves pre-season tour

There had to be one small black cloud on today's Blue Drogba skies. Fortunately, we're talking really small: the official site is reporting that Mark Schwarzer is heading home from the pre-season tour with a 'minor' muscular injury. Considering that Schwarzer is going to be third choice this season and that Petr Cech has already recovered from his dislocated shoulder, this isn't a big deal at all. We don't have an estimated recovery time yet, but it's safe to assume this won't keep him out for too long.

As for how this impacts the friendlies, we'll probably see Cech get the full 90 minutes for the weekend's friendly in Slovenia and then start splitting time with Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian is set to link up with the squad early next week, along with new signing(!) Didier Drogba, Romelu Lukaku and presumably the Nigerians who aren't going to Middlesbrough. The competition between him and Cech is what really matters, so far as goalkeeping in concerned, but best wishes to Schwarzer for a quick recovery regardless.