Didier Drogba has warned Manchester United he is feeling "lucky’’ and ready to be Chelsea’s Old Trafford spearhead.
The Ivorian striker scored his first Chelsea goal since returning to the Blues this summer in Tuesday's 6-0 Champions League romp past Maribor.
With Diego Costa struggling with his aggravated hamstring problem and Loic Remy pulling a groin scoring the opener against the Slovenians, Drogba is the only fit and experienced striker in Jose Mourinho’s squad.
But while Drogba admitted he is still working himself into shape after a persistent ankle complaint, the 36-year-old believes the Blues’ inner drive can give them the edge over Louis Van Gaal’s men on Sunday.
Drogba said: "It’s up to the manager to decide who’s going to start. But if you were a player, how would you feel if they say, 'You can play at Old Trafford'? You’d be happy.
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"I’m not fully fit yet, but these kind of games helps me to improve.
"We’re doing a great job and to be able to enjoy these kind of moments is fantastic. We are lucky, and if I play I will feel lucky one more time.
"United are a threat. We need to go there with our strength and our belief but also we have to know that they are a good team.’’
Drogba spent two seasons away from the Bridge playing in China and Turkey after signing off in style in 2012 by scoring the winner in the European Cup Final.
Chelsea win the European Cup:
He added: "I have come back to a different Chelsea. We have different strengths, different qualities but we are still as strong and as good as the previous sides.
"Chelsea will always be at this level because of what the players before us created, the habit of wining trophies, winning big games and being in the last four and the finals.
"This is a good habit, and so even when we retire I think Chelsea will continue this because this is a kind of legacy.
Chelsea 6-0 Maribor in pictures:
"Maybe now it is United who need to learn to catch up with us - the other way round from when I first came to the club. But that’s why I say this club is very special, because in our first season together, we had to win. I don’t know if it’s like that at other clubs but we HAD to win.
"We had big expectations from the start. That’s the legacy I’m talking about. You have to win at this club.’’
Drogba’s penalty against Maribor ended an 885-day wait for his 158th Blues goal, after he netted his previous one in the 2012 Champions League Final in Munich, before going on to win the trophy with the shoot-out's final kick.
Eden Hazard, brilliant all night on Tuesday and who converted Chelsea’s second penalty, revealed he had allowed ‘The King’ to pull rank, adding: "When he asked, I couldn’t say no.’’
Drogba, who has only ever scored three times against United, although that haul includes the FA Cup Final winner in 2007 and a crucial title-deciding goal for Carlo Ancelotti's Blues three years later, explained: "The first taker is Eden but I asked him to give me the first penalty and he gave it.
"When I took the penalty, I was smiling because that’s the way I left the club and to start scoring with a penalty again is quite symbolic - I put it in the same place [in the goal], too.
"We are in a good place, but we’re still far from the final. You know better than me that the real competition starts in February or March.’’