Stamford Bridge striker ponders future but is keen to continue playingDrogba will be offered new Chelsea contract but terms are yet to be discussed

Didier Drogba is intent upon extending his senior playing career into an 18th season, with Chelsea expected to offer him a new one-year deal.

The 37-year-old, who signed a 12-month contract back at Stamford Bridge last summer, has effectively been promised a job for life by José Mourinho.

Yet the specifics of his future role at the club – whether on the playing staff, as a coach or with an ambassadorial brief – have yet to be formally discussed and there remains the possibility Drogba could explore alternative options in search of more regular first-team football given his desire to play on.

Asked if he had made a decision on his future, the striker indicated he intended to continue a playing career that has taken in spells at Le Mans, Guingamp, Marseille, Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasary and two glittering periods with Chelsea.

“I have made a decision, yes,” he said. “And no, this is not my last season.”

The forward, whose last goal came at Newcastle in December, would not elaborate, though talks are anticipated with his employers to determine whether he has a role on the playing staff at Chelsea next term.

Mourinho had indicated last week that those discussions would take place.

“We have to think, we have to speak, we have to know what he wants,” he said.

“We have a lot of talks to do. But it’s not a problem. I don’t know if he wants to. There are people who, during their careers, earn the right and the power to make decisions and not wait for others to make decisions for them. What he did at this club for so many years puts him in a great position.”

The striker, who has won the Premier League three times and the European Cup once, started his first game since February in Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Queens Park Rangers and is the only fit senior striker at the league leaders with Diego Costa and Loïc Rémy suffering from hamstring and calf injuries respectively.

That is likely to see Drogba leading the line against Manchester United on Saturday.

“It’s difficult when you don’t play and then have to go into these kind of games, but I try to give my best,” said the Ivorian.

“I tried to give the best of my physical capacity against QPR, so if the manager needs me I’m always ready.

“That was an important win [at Loftus Road]. We are only looking forward and we just wanted to win to get closer to the title.

“We still have those two games against [the closest challengers] Arsenal and United still to play, but we try to only think about our game. We are top of the league. They are maybe thinking about us and hoping we make a bad result, but we are more positive that we want to win.”

Chelsea were far from at their best at Loftus Road but prevailed courtesy of Cesc Fàbregas’s late goal and Thibaut Courtois’s fine display in keeping QPR at bay.

The Belgian goalkeeper had suffered in the recent victories over Hull and Stoke – he was beaten from 66 yards by the latter’s Charlie Adam – but was back to his best, with one fine block to deny Matt Phillips granting the leaders the opportunity to pilfer the win with their only shot on target.

“I wouldn’t say the title is decided already, but if we had drawn the game at QPR it would have given Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City hope to be champions,” said Courtois.

“But by winning it, they can still see we are there on top, haven’t dropped points and that’s important. We know QPR is a very difficult game and we showed character.

“It was not our best football but we got the three points. It was an important win. We will go into the United game with a seven-point lead [over Arsenal], and hopefully with a bigger gap going into the Arsenal match.

“We are doing our own thing, not looking at the others.”