Report: Drogba absent from training, could miss final regular-season match

The Montreal Impact will reportedly be without star striker Didier Drogba for the final match of the 2016 MLS regular season, as RDS reports the former Chelsea man was absent from training on Friday.

RDS reports that as a result, Drogba will likely be unavailable for the Impact's last match of the season away at the New England Revolution.

Drogba, 38, missed last Sunday's 401 Derby with Toronto FC as the result of an internal conflict generated when head coach Mauro Biello opted to start him on the bench.

Impact owner Joey Saputo also said the club had reached a resolution with Drogba regarding their previous disagreement, saying, "Didier has accepted to assume the role that the head coach sees fit while contributing to the success of this club moving forward. When he came to Montreal, Didier said he came here to win, and he still has the same objective."

While that conflict could be the cause of this latest development, Drogba's absence could also be the result of the artificial turf used by the Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Drogba has consistently opted to skip matches played on artificial surfaces in an effort to avoid injury.

The club also indicated Drogba was dealing with a stiff back, further evidence that his absence from training could be precautionary.

Regardless of the result on Sunday, Drogba could still feature in the Impact's upcoming playoff match, though no opponent has been set for the first elimination round.