These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Carragher on defending against Drogba

Writing in his ‘Offscript’ column on Sky Sports, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has described the big challenge of defending against Didier Drogba when he was a Chelsea player.

The pair were regular combatants when the Blues and the Reds played against each other on several fronts between 2004 and 2012, and Carragher suggests he got a good measure of the Ivorian from playing against him so regularly.

‘I had a lot of good games against Didier Drogba,’ wrote the former centre-back. ‘I think he scored three goals in about 30 games against Liverpool, but people seem to forget that and remember his unbelievable goal in 2006.*

‘Sometimes as a defender against some of the top players we had at that time - Alan Shearer, Henry, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie - there's not a lot you can do in certain situations because they were that good. That goal Drogba scored there wasn't a lot I could do.

‘I trained with great strikers like Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez every day, so I never came up against them, but I worked out their games. The same thing happened with Drogba because we played him so much.

‘Almost every game we played with Chelsea was either 0-0 or 1-0, every game was on a knife edge.You knew as a defender if you made a mistake it was over because with John Terry at the back, Chelsea wouldn't concede too much. If you got the first goal you knew you wouldn't concede too much either.’

Drogba’s strike rate against Liverpool was actually much better than Carragher suggested as he scored nine times in 28 appearances against them for the Blues including goals in the 2005 League Cup final, the 2008 Champions League semi-finals and the 2012 FA Cup final.

He also got two goals for Marseille when they eliminated the Reds in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in 2003/04.

Mount attracting interest from Real Madrid

Citing a report by Don Balon, the TeamTalk website indicates Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Mason Mount, who has been dubbed by the Spanish sports publication.as the ‘new Jadon Sancho’.

The report suggests Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has his eye on the youngster after his fine start to the season with the Blues and the club have sent their scouts to monitor his progress.

‘Florentino Perez in typically Real Madrid fashion, could be set to splash the cash once more as he has set his sights on securing the signature of Mason Mount,’ states TeamTalk.

‘The report claims that Real Madrid have ‘sent several of [their] scouts to follow closely the developments in Mason Mount.

The TeamTalk article concludes with: ‘Mount, described in the report as the ‘indisputable leader of the attack’ recently signed a new five-year deal at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea along with Lampard would be expected to be resolute in their efforts to keep the England international in south-west London.'

Ranieri linked with Saint-Etienne

The Football Italia website reports former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri could be returning to manage in France for a third time after being linked with Ligue 1 struggler Saint-Etienne.

The 67-year-old has been out of management since his caretaker spell at Roma in the final few months of last season but he could be appointed by the French club, who are in the relegation zone after a poor start to the season.

Saint-Etienne manager Ghislain Printant is reportedly on the brink after a 1-0 loss to Metz on Wednesday which extended their winless run in the league to six matches.

Ranieri, who turns 68 next month, previously managed in Ligue 1 at Monaco and Nantes.