Salomon Kalou will risk the wrath of new Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari by putting country before his club to play in the Olympics.

The Beijing Games begin on 8 August, just eight days before Chelsea's first game of the Premier League campaign at home to Portsmouth.

But the Ivory Coast winger said: "I am looking forward to the Olympic Games. We will be in an exciting group with Argentina."

Kalou insists he is delighted Scolari has been appointed and denied speculation suggesting he wants to be reunited with Chelsea's former manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

He added: "The players will learn a lot of things with such a great manager in charge. Next season will be great. I am staying with Chelsea - I love the club."

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung is set to miss out on the chance to represent South Korea at the Olympics as an over-age player because of a knee injury.