Anelka, Villa and Love could solve Chelsea's striking crisis but there are other options

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The manager wants to sign someone in the January transfer window as cover for Didier Drogba, yet he will use Roman Abramovich's cheque book for the first time with caution.

His side will play their second successive game without the striker tonight as they face Valencia in the Champions League and the former Marseille star recovers from knee surgery.

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Pizarro (right) and Shevchenko have much to prove if they are to be the long-term answer to Chelsea's problems in attack

Drogba could be back in three weeks and play a couple of times for Chelsea but, seven days after the window opens, he is due with the Ivory Coast as they prepare for and compete in the African Nations Cup.

Chelsea may then have to manage without him for a further eight games and Grant needs to think long-term, with the 29-year-old still not fully settled and expecting talks about his future next summer.

But after starting his career as Chelsea manager well, the Israeli is not prepared to gamble away his good work.

Grant said: "Even if we are happy with the squad we will keep looking. If we find someone we will do it, if not we will stay with what we have. He is not easy to find and I don't want to take a striker who is not good for us.

"The problem is the [type of] player we want. It will not be a problem of money, it will be a problem of quality."

Landing a top striker at any time, never mind half way through a season, is tough no matter how much money you have at your disposal.

Chelsea's track record in this area is not the best either. Adrian Mutu, Hernan Crespo and Mateja Kezman have all failed to fill the brief in the last few years.

Eidur Gudjohnsen and Carlton Cole were at Chelsea before Abramovich but eventually gave up on the challenge after being starved of opportunities.

Moves for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka and Vagner Love at CSKA Moscow are being suggested but Grant may have to consider a third way.

Anelka has scored goals at the highest level and is eligible for the Champions League, although the much-travelled 28-year-old may not be a long-term solution.

Love is five years his junior and plays for Brazil, but he is still looking to prove himself with a big club and would not be able to play for Chelsea in Europe this season.

Valencia's David Villa has also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge again and admitted to being a little gloomy after they were eliminated from the Champions League and stuttered in La Liga.

He said: "Any player would be interested in coming to the Premier League."

However, like Love, Villa would only be able to play in domestic competitions if he joined Chelsea.

According to one top agent none of Europe's biggest sides are making great waves ahead of tense trading in January and Grant does not want to jump in at the deep end with his first Chelsea signing.

The alternative may be to bring in or utilise a creative midfielder such as Joe Cole while Drogba is out and seek another solution next summer when Drogba's future becomes clear.

Grant has already started encouraging the England international to take up the position off the main striker and Florent Malouda has played there before, but it would require a reshaping of the team.

That in itself would be something of a gamble as, with Salomon Kalou also due with the Ivory Coast next month, Chelsea's only recognised strikers would be Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro. Grant said: "I have confidence in these players but I would also feel more confident if Drogba came back. You know he is quality; I don't need to say it.

"He is a very important striker for us, even in the last two months he missed three games but I prefer that he be fit and play."

Pizarro said when he joined from Bayern Munich in the summer that he is not a prolific scorer and has one goal in four starts and 11 substitute appearances this season.

Shevchenko will hope for another chance to prove he still has the quality which once made him feared throughout Europe and his recent record is better at four goals in 12 games, five of which he started on the bench.

Neither have the pace and power of Drogba but Grant is used to his team defying expectations.

After losing his first game in charge in September at Old Trafford, he has guided Chelsea on a run of 15 games unbeaten. His first big win away at Valencia at the beginning of October was the turning point so tonight will bring back good memories.

It will also give him the chance to bring some players returning from injury back into the side, with the group already won and a key trip to Arsenal looming on Sunday.

Grant said: "I cannot tell you the game tonight is important for us and the match on Sunday is much more important, but that is because of what we have already done in the group

"The first game at Valencia was very important for us. Everybody thought before that Chelsea were on the way down and would continue to be down after losing to United.

"But we won, played well, the attitude was good and since then we haven't lost. I disappointed people who expected I would lose many games. We built a good staff, showed the good attitude of the players, won a lot of games and played better football."