Anelka taking his chance as Drogba continues to suffer with injury

could be without Didier Drogba for the first three games of the season but Nicolas Anelka staked his claim to lead Luiz Felipe Scolari's attack with a stunning four-goal demolition of AC Milan yesterday.

Drogba did not accompany Chelsea on their pre-season tour, which was rounded off in style by a 5-0 win over a weakened Milan side in Moscow.

Instead, he has undergone a rehabilitation programme at Chelsea's training headquarters in a bid to cure a longstanding knee problem which flared up during the back end of last season.

Prolific: Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka, right, scores his fourth goal past Milan's goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, left, and player Kakha Kaladze

The former Marseille striker's future remains the subject of much debate after he was linked with moves to Italy and Spain. But Scolari is far more concerned with the medical reports.

He said: 'He's better, starting to train in the field. He has a fitness coach there. But I hope next week he will be ready to start training.

'He will not be available for the first game. It is important for us he is fully fit. When he is in good condition, he will play. Maybe for the second game - third game maximum - he will be ready if there are no more problems.'

Chelsea will bid to strengthen their attacking options this week by stepping up their pursuit of Real Madrid's Robinho.

The Brazil forward is understood to have been less than satisfied with Real's latest contract offer made over the weekend when the Spanish Champions were in London for the Arsenal-hosted Emirates Cup.

Reports in Spain insist Robinho has told Real president Ramon Calderon and manager Bernd Schuster that he has made up his mind to join Chelsea. 'Let me go to Chelsea,' Spanish sports daily Marca claimed Robinho told the club.

'I want to go to Chelsea in the same way that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to come to Madrid. It is the same thing.'

Chelsea's willingness to pay Robinho in the region of £4.8million a year compared to the £3.2m on offer from Real is a major motivating factor in his desire to move.

But with Real's asking price set at £36m for the former Santos player, much negotiation remains.

Scolari is likely to have to make do with Anelka as his main striker for the opening match of the Barclays Premier League season against Portsmouth in 12 days and Anelka's encouraging form on Chelsea's pre-season tour has brought him six goals in five games.

Four of those goals came against Milan, albeit with the help of the hosts' reserve goalkeeper, Zeljko Kalac.

Chelsea were ahead inside three minutes against a sluggish Milan side minus, among others, Ronaldinho and Kaka, when Frank Lampard's free-kick slipped through Kalac's legs.

Five minutes later, Anelka crashed in a half-volley after Florent Malouda's cross rebounded of Giuseppe Favalli's head. Anelka's next was a tap-in after Kalac air-kicked Marek Jankulovski's back pass.

The £15m signing from Bolton completed his hat-trick early in the second half after a neat move involving Deco, Ashley Cole and Malouda, rising unmarked to head past the former Leicester keeper.

Anelka stabbed in another Malouda cross before being replaced by an unfit Andriy Shevchenko, Scolari said: 'It was important for Anelka but more important for us to have more confidence for this player.

'He's one of the players that we need this season. Today, not because he scored four goals, but he played with more quality and freedom than in the other games.

'It's fantastic for his confidence to score four times against Milan. He believes more and the other players believe in him more.'