Ivory Coast wait on Drogba injury

Drogba was helped off the field after suffering the injury

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba's participation in the World Cup is in serious doubt after he suffered a fractured elbow in a friendly.

The Chelsea striker, 32, picked up the injury 16 minutes into the game after clashing with Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka.

"It's a fracture in his arm. The doctor hasn't said yet whether he can play in the World Cup," said a team spokesman.

Ivory Coast kick off their World Cup campaign against Portugal on 15 June.

"It's an elbow injury. How bad it is, I don't know. He had a lot of pain," said Ivory Coast boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"Of course I'm worried. He's captain and one of the world's best players."

Drogba, the Premier League's top goalscorer last season, helped open the scoring with a 13th-minute deflected free-kick and Ivory Coast went on to win the game 2-0 with Manchester City defender Kolo Toure also scoring.

606: DEBATE I would be so gutted for the big man, I mean he did so much to ensure his country qualified for the world cup kalou_will_be_greatest

Drogba, who has scored 44 goals in 69 appearances for his country, is key to Ivory Coast's hopes in South Africa and Eriksson will anxiously await news of his injury.

But the former England boss said he did not blame Tanaka for the incident.

"It was unlucky. It wasn't bad or stupid. He didn't want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact," added Eriksson.

Ivory Coast face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in their World Cup group.

Drogba is an enormous star in his native Ivory Coast and across the whole continent of Africa, and his possible absence would be a significant blow to the tournament.

World Cup guide - Ivory Coast

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