Nelsen: Beware of the Drog

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo is widely tipped to take the individual honours at the end-of-season awards after an outstanding campaign for the Premiership leaders.

But Nelsen believes Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who has scored 30 times for Jose Mourinho's side, would be a more fitting winner.

"I think he's a fantastic player," Nelsen saidahead of the Old Trafford semi-final. "He's had a brilliant season and in all honesty I hope he gets player of the year because I think he has scored some fantastic key goals for Chelsea.

"His goals he has scored are big ones for them. He's very strong and has a finishing touch at the moment, which will hopefully go away on Sunday."

Blackburn, looking to reach their first FA Cup final for 47 years, will be massive underdogs when they meet a Chelsea team who have already beaten them home and away in the league and in the League Cup at Ewood Park this season.

But New Zealand international Nelsen believes they are capable of creating an upset and enabling him to fulfil his boyhood dream of playing in the final at Wembley.

"When I was growing up it was all FA Cup," he said. "We never really got the television packages of the league so it was really only the FA Cup that we used to watch.

"I can remember all of us getting up at three o'clock in the morning to watch the final. It used to be kind of a Utopian event, another planet, so to be only one step away is special."