Wilkins delighted with Drogba

Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins was delighted with Didier Drogba's return after the Ivorian scored against West Brom.

Drogba, starting in attack with top scorer Nicolas Anelka for the first time this season, headed Chelsea into the lead in the third minute.

Frank Lampard gave Chelsea a comfortable win over bottom club West Brom with a second goal in first-half stoppage time.

"We are delighted to have Didier back," said Wilkins. "It is always nice to score early on and it was a classic centre-forward's goal - a powerful header.

"It is lovely to have Didier fully fit although we took him off in the second half because he got a kick on the thigh. He is an exceptional centre forward and we are thrilled when anybody gets back to full fitness.

"But the squad is getting better with everybody almost fit now. Ricardo Carvalho will probably be back for the FA Cup match against Southend, so we are getting there.

"It is always a delight for any manager when he has a fully fit squad to choose from."

It was Chelsea's first win in four league games at home but Wilkins denied it was a relief to finally get back to winning ways.

"I would not say it is a relief," he added. "We have to give some credit to the opposition, especially West Ham and Newcastle, who both had a game plan and took points off us. Teams are not going to lie down and let us knock in two or three goals."

However, Wilkins refused to be drawn on a second-half spat between Albion's Chris Brunt and Chelsea's Michael Ballack.

The Blues midfielder was booked by referee Rob Styles for putting his hand into the side of Brunt's face but Wilkins had little to say on the matter.

"I thought the game was very even tempered and there was just a little bit of aggravation there," said Wilkins.

"I didn't think Michael would get himself sent off, he's a very experienced guy.

"That got finished. Michael got his yellow card and that was it. I thought the referee had an exceptional game."

However, Albion boss Tony Mowbray admitted to being dumfounded by the decision.

"It is a bit confusing from my point of view because he did lift an arm and slap him in the face," said Mowbray.

"It was right in front of the referee and that's what he gets paid for - to referee a football match.

"If he doesn't think a slap is worthy of anything other than a yellow card, then so be it. It was right in front of me and right in front of him.

"I would never call for any player to be sent off. Ballack is a world class player, a great player, I don't know what irritated him enough to slap my player in the face but it might have helped us if we had played against 10 men for however long was left.

"But I would never sit here and say he should have been sent off. It is the referee's job to make those decisions and he didn't think it warranted it, so we accept that and get on with it."

Mowbray admitted the plan had been to try and frustrate Chelsea but he was upset with the goals they conceded.

"The frustrating thing was the timing of the goals," said Mowbray. "We did try and frustrate Chelsea but to concede such an elementary goal so early was a blow for us.

"Going in at half-time 1-0 down would not have been the end of the world but to concede another in the 47th minute was very disappointing."