Koln vs Hertha BSC Berlin preview - Kalou: I'm ready for Cologne

Salomon Kalou says he is fit and ready to fire Hertha Berlin up the Bundesliga standings, starting in Cologne this Saturday.

The 29-year-old returned from international duty with the Ivory Coast on Thursday and gave the thumbs-up for an appearance this weekend, when Jos Luhukay's men look to bounce straight back from a 2-0 defeat to Hannover before the international break.

"I may be a bit tired from the journey, but everything's good and nothing's happened," he said on his club's website. "I'm ready for Cologne."

Kalou is no stranger to all the travelling, being a regular for his country during his Chelsea days, when he also played alongside compatriot Didier Drogba.

"Didier was a very important player for us," he said. "It was such a pleasure to play with him.

"It is thanks to Didier and the others that I became the footballer I am today. I learned a lot from him."

While Drogba may have been under the spotlight more at the Blues, it is Kalou who is dominating the headlines in the Geman capital.

"I came to Hertha because I was attracted by the challenge," he said. "The Bundesliga is a very, very strong league and particularly after the World Cup, there are lots of players who want to come here."

Kalou has scored four goals so far this season, although Hertha are only one point above the drop zone, four points behind Cologne, whose coach Peter Stoger would not mind seeing that gap grow this weekend.

"Big points are at stake in this game," he said at a press conference. "A win would allow us to put daylight between us, but that doesn't mean we are favourites.

"We've still got to push ourselves to the limit if we are to win."