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Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba could start their opening World Cup game against Portugal next week, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Thursday.
Drogba, 32, broke his arm during a friendly against Japan on June 4, and needed surgery.
"If the game had been today or tomorrow, he wouldn't play. But there are still some days. He might play against Portugal," Eriksson told journalists at the team's arrival on Thursday.
Ivory Coast take on Portugal next Tuesday in Group G in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth.
They have been drawn in a tough group, which includes North Korea and five-times World Cup winners Brazil.
"It is a difficult group, but we will be well prepared and we will do everything to play well against the other teams," Eriksson said.