Impact star Drogba suffers hip injury, unlikely to play Saturday at Orlando

MONTREAL – Didier Drogba is suffering from a hip injury and is unlikely to play in the Montreal Impact’s game on Saturday at Orlando City.

Of course, he was probably not going to take the field anyway because the game is to be played on artificial turf, which he finds hard on his 38-year-old knees. He sat out four matches on synthetic surfaces earlier this season.

“The game is on (artificial) turf and, because of his injury, I don’t think he’s going to play,” coach Mauro Biello said Monday.

He said Drogba would undergo tests this week to determine the severity of the injury.

The Ivorian striker was hurt in a 1-1 draw at home on Saturday against Philadelphia. He was limping early in the second half and, after heading a ball wide, signalled that he needed to leave the match and was substituted in the 70th minute for Johan Venegas.

Drogba’s fourth goal in seven games this season in the third minute of the match is a candidate for Major League Soccer goal of the week.