Former Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Birmingham City striker Mikael Forssell was forced to miss training on Tuesday - because of a cat.

The 33-year-old, now with Bundesliga 2 club VfL Bochum was unable to get to his car because a group of felines were camped by the door.

Forssell is allergic to cats. He posted to Twitter: "Im [sic] allergic to cats...I need to leave 2 training...semi-scary...been there now 4 about 20mins rubbing against rubber".

The Finn, who moved to Bochum after a two-year spell at HJK Helsinki, the club from which Chelsea signed him in 1998 as a 17-year-old.

Forssell has played just 118 minutes for his new club, scoring one goal, and is yet to start a game.

Mikael as a teenager for Chelsea back in 1998 (GETTY IMAGES)

Peter Neururer's side are currently 10th in Germany's second tier, but it is so far unclear whether the striker will be left out of the side after his stand-off.

A promising youngster, Forrsell's Chelsea career was stunted by injury and he managed just six Premier League starts for the side in seven years.

He did enjoy successful loan spells at Palace, Borussia Monchengladbach and Birmingham, before Blues spent £3million to take him permanently to St Andrews in 2005.