"Are you injured?"
Kai pointed at Drogba's right ankle.
This time, in everyone else's eyes, Maxa had rushed over anxiously because he was worried Drogba was hurt.
Even Drogba himself was moved by Maxa's behavior.
He truly loved his players like sons!
With a coach like this, what more could a man ask for? I am willing to dedicate myself to the Sacred Saint and fight until my heart and soul are ground to dust!
"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense." The honest Drogba denied it three times in a row, instantly attracting the attention of the entire team.
Because even when you cursed at him, it was hard to get more than two or three words out of him.
And now he'd actually pulled off a triple denial?
Something was definitely wrong.
"What exactly is going on, and when did it happen?" Kai didn't hesitate and immediately pulled Drogba toward the infirmary.
Drogba resisted several times, but he didn't dare truly struggle against Kai, and the two gradually moved away from the training ground.
Finally, Drogba told the truth.
He really was injured.
There was obvious pain in his right ankle, which had been kicked by an opposing player during a previous match.
And because his right foot hurt, he had unconsciously shifted more force onto his left leg. Now even the tendon behind his left thigh was suffering from cramping pain.
After arriving at the infirmary for examination...
The team doctors all said the situation was not optimistic.
There was no issue with the right Achilles tendon, but there was damage around the ankle joint.
This was an important joint and needed rest.
In addition, there was a mild strain in the left thigh. If it hadn't been discovered in time, it could easily have worsened into a serious muscle injury.
According to Drogba, this condition had already lasted for quite some time.
The team doctors were completely stunned by Drogba's ability to endure pain and hardship.
He had actually continued training and playing matches with injuries like this.
Absolutely insane.
Not to mention whether ordinary people could tolerate that level of pain—even if they could, the injury would've worsened rapidly.
It was basically like playing while permanently under painkillers.
Not only had Drogba become his own anesthetic, but unlike other players, he didn't even seem to suffer serious side effects afterward.
No wonder he would later earn the nickname "Warcraft."
That body didn't seem like it came from Côte d'Ivoire.
It felt more like it came straight out of the Warsong Clan in Orgrimmar.
"You absolutely cannot keep playing. You need rest," the team doctor said seriously.
"No, please, let me continue playing. Don't tell Mr. Triguera!" Drogba begged. "I really need to play. I can't stay on the bench forever."
"If that happens, I'll be eliminated. I don't want to be eliminated!"
"If I fail at Benfica, maybe nobody will even want me back in Ligue 2. Then I won't be able to support my family. I don't want my wife and children struggling just to survive."
Twenty-two-year-old Drogba already understood the weight of family responsibility.
He planned to use his powerful body to carry everything himself.
His emotions became agitated, and combined with his naturally fierce appearance, he frightened the team doctor for a moment.
In the end, Kai was the one who calmed him down.
"Hey, brother, I think you've misunderstood something."
Drogba looked at Kai blankly, not understanding what he meant.
"Maybe in other places, sitting on the bench means you're not good enough. But that's not how things work here." Kai took out paper and a pen, sketching tactical diagrams as he spoke. "This is how ordinary teams you've played for before operate."
"They either don't compete for trophies or get eliminated early, so they don't have many matches. To save money, they only maintain one fixed lineup."
"But we're different. First of all, we won't have fewer matches. The Portuguese Super League, the UEFA Cup, the Portuguese Cup... As long as we keep winning, we'll end up playing more than ten additional games compared to other teams."
"The most important thing is that we often play two or even three matches per week. For a team like ours, the concept of substitutes exists for specific matches."
"That's the first point. You don't need to worry that becoming a substitute means getting kicked out of the team. It's completely different here."
Drogba finally looked a little calmer.
Kai continued writing and drawing.
"What's even more different is that our team has truly top-level tactical coaches. You've probably noticed that we have all kinds of playing styles, and every player has specific movement patterns and tactical recommendations designed for them, right? You have them too."
"That means sometimes a player sits on the bench not because he's weak, but because today's tactical setup requires something different. That's called targeting."
"It gives us more initiative against strong opponents because we can target them specifically, while it's much harder for them to target us."
"And that ties back into my first point. That's why we can keep winning in cup competitions. These things complement each other."
"You know we have tactical systems built specifically around your movement. That means you have your own role in this team. It means you're an important part of the squad."
"So while the season has just started, if you still have a chance to recover properly, then go recover now. Otherwise, once we enter the second half of the season, every match will become critical. At that point, even if you're injured, Mr. Triguera may still have no choice but to send you out there."
Drogba wasn't stupid. He understood exactly what Kai meant.
With a master tactician like Maxa, the team genuinely needed Drogba for certain tactical systems.
But Drogba still had another concern.
"But Ibrahimović..." Drogba hesitated. "He can do everything I can do, and most of the things he can do... I can't. I..."
Kai immediately shook his head.
"No, no, no. What you can do, Ibrahimović absolutely cannot."
"I know what you're thinking. He's taller and technically better. If he's a Rolls-Royce, then you're just an ordinary pickup truck."
"But you need to understand that football styles develop for a reason. No matter how Ibrahimović changes, he'll never truly be able to handle all the dirty work the way you can."
"His football has its own kind of beauty, but when it comes to absolute simplicity and directness, he'll never reach your level."
"And honestly, your speed is much faster than his—especially once you get moving. That kind of impact is rare in world football."
"It's different from pure sprint speed. Your acceleration and momentum create terrifying pressure, and there's much more room for horizontal expansion."
"In short, stop worrying. I brought you here—bah... the team brought you here—not to make you some fringe player."
"You, Ibrahimović, all of you have extremely important roles. You will all become vital pillars of this team's attack."
In the end, Drogba finally agreed to receive treatment.
And on Kai's recommendation, he also tried traditional Chinese medicine bone-setting therapy.
Years of rough football had already left his body needing maintenance in many areas.
In fact, if he hadn't come to Sporting Lisbon and had instead stayed at Le Mans, Drogba would've spent this season trapped in repeated injuries.
Not only would he have played just eleven matches, he also wouldn't have scored a single goal.
Those injuries this year would've also affected his future career.
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