Montreal Impact coach confirms Didier Drogba is available for debut against Union

Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba is set to make his debut for his new club as the Montreal Impact takes on the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

With Stade Saputo set for a sell-out crowd and plenty of hype surrounding this match, Montreal head coach Frank Klopas gave the thumbs up fans of the Impact had been waiting for all week.

"Drogba will be available to play," Klopas confirmed to reporters Friday. "This was the plan all along. I think we have to be smart, also, with him, bring him along. We don't want to have any setbacks.

"You've seen guys that have been rushed in. The other day, I saw (Chicago Fire forward) Gilberto come in, a guy that's been off, and in the first 10 minutes, he gets hit. That can happen in a game, and he's out."

Drogba has some big shoes to fill when it comes to Montreal's experience with Designated Player strikers. The club's last star forward was Italian international Marco Di Vaio, who went on to score 40 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions for the Canadian outfit.

But, Klopas says Drogba isn't being treated any differently from any of the other players in the roster and has acclimitized to the team quickly, despite being received with high praises from the club's supporters.

"When he comes into the locker room, it's not Drogba the superstar," Klopas said. "It's 'I'm a player of the Impact, and I want to do whatever it takes to make the team better.' That's the great thing about him: he's come here with the right mentality. Talking to a lot of people that knew him, they all said that. But then, when you get an opportunity to work with him, it's great to have someone like that.

"He's been great with the group, helping out with his experiences, even with the younger players," Klopas added. "His mentality and his attitude, he's all about the team. I know he's done a lot, but right now, his focus is just to prepare for the game and see how he can help the team on the field."