Drogba's demotion will be seen as a general warning to the dressing room that Scolari will not tolerate any more poor displays.
Big Phil had given Drogba the chance to be the focal point of Chelsea's attack, creating a system that should provide regular service. To accommodate Drogba, Scolari dropped Nicolas Anelka, despite the Frenchman being the Premier League's leading scorer. Now his patience has gone.
Drogba has been left in no doubt about Scolari's anger. Anelka will start against Southend with Drogba left behind in London.
Scolari said: "I have looked at many games with Anelka and I have looked at the last few games with Didier. When I have given four or five chances then there is no room for questions."
A reunion with Milan with his former manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan looks likely.
Scolari, meanwhile, dismissed the idea of starting Anelka and Drogba in tandem because "we can lose the ball [in midfield] with two up front". He added that Chelsea have been performing terribly: "In the last five games we play at 50 per cent of our potential. Some players have been at 75 to 80 per cent while others have been at 35-40 per cent. They are not ready to win a trophy and they know this."
The Brazilian added that he felt the Chelsea board were behind him "one million per cent" and that he remained sanguine about the future. "If I lose my job," he said, "I have another job [elsewhere]."