Didier Drogba remains a major doubt for Chelsea's Champions League clash with Liverpool, with manager Guus Hiddink delaying for as long as possible a decision on the injured striker ahead of Wednesday's quarter-final, first-leg meeting at Anfield.

Drogba sat out the comfortable 2-0 victory at Newcastle which kept Chelsea's Premier League title hopes very much on the boil at the business end of the campaign.

The 31-year-old is making slow progress after turning his ankle in training and Hiddink knows he must temper his desire for the striker's swift return by taking into account the significant number of games across three competitions Chelsea face before the end of the season.

The Dutchman admitted he will give the influential forward as much time as possible to prove his fitness, saying: "Drogba is with our medical staff at present. He suffered a reaction to an ankle injury he picked up in training. At the moment we'll just have to see if he can train tomorrow and take it from there but we know we have some big, tough games coming up."

Hiddink insists Drogba is at least mentally ready to face Rafa Benitez's side, despite the former Marseille forward talking openly about his anguish in wake of the Ivory Coast stadium disaster.

The collapse of a stadium wall caused the death of 19 fans before the recent World Cup qualifier against Malawi in Abidjan, a game which featured Drogba (right) and his Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou - who figured in Newcastle. In addition, the Arsenal duo Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue plus Spurs' utility man Didier Zokora were also involved, with neither team aware of the unfolding tragedy during the game, which the hosts won 5-0.

Hiddink added: "We've talked about the tragedy in Abidjan with the whole squad. Winning and losing are very important but this showed there are other things in life to put them into some kind of perspective.

"You can't forget about something like that when it's happened and of course we won't, but life goes on and the best thing is to get back to work, which is what Kalou did against Newcastle."

Second-half goals from man-of-the-match Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda rewarded Chelsea's dominance and ensured Alan Shearer's much-heralded return to his home-town club began with a losing start as the Londoners dominated from start to finish against the North-East club - who on this showing appear destined for the drop into the Championship.

Hiddink knows he can expect a tougher task this week, when the Blues lock horns with Liverpool in the latest instalment of the clubs' increasingly tedious Champions League rivalry.

The Chelsea boss expects his opposite number Benitez to send his side out with the same kind of high-tempo approach that saw them account for Spanish giants Real Madrid in the last round.

He added: "What Liverpool do in the Champions League, when you see them play against the likes of Real Madrid, is that they come onto you at high speed. I don't think they'll change that attitude or those tactics when they play us."

While the immediate focus is obviously on the midweek European engagement, midfielder Lampard remains confident of domestic success, insisting the title race is still wide-open.

Chelsea have recovered quickly following their damaging defeat by Spurs before the international break, and Lampard said: "We had no option but to bounce back from the Spurs defeat if we were to have any hope of staying in the title race and that's why it was so important to get three points.

"The Spurs result was a setback but good teams bounce back from those and that's what we've done. We don't think the title race is over yet by a long margin and the other teams at the top won't think that either.

"It's still there and still available to play for. All we can do is win our games and let the rest take care of itself."

Hiddink added: "We will try to keep winning and we have some home games coming up in the league so hopefully we can keep the pressure on the teams around us. I just hope we're not left to regret the points we dropped against Tottenham."

For the hosts' new manager, Saturday's dropped point are hardly a source of surprise, or regret, and Shearer is still confident his side can beat the drop.

He said: "I am optimistic still, I am still confident that we can avoid the drop and my players are too, which is more important.

"One game in football is a hell of a long time - we have got seven.

"I am sure there are going to be twists and turns between now and the end of the season."