Did contracting malaria rob Drogba of many more years at the top?

Cast your mind back to 09/10 and Drogba was at the absolute peak of his powers with 37 goals in 44 games. To add even more impressive context onto that he didn't take pens however if he did and scored them all he would have got 51 goals, which would have been ahead of both Ronaldo and Messi (the former of which he gazumped even without the pens).

He may have been 32 but his late start in his career plus his tactical awareness meant there was no reason he was going to slow down anytime soon and he started the following season with a bang aswell, a hatrick on the opening day. But two months later he contracted malaria and he was never the same again, he still had THAT ultimate moment in him a year and a half later but in terms of week by week consistency he was done.

When I think of how Zlatan remained a world class forward right up until his late 30's I can't help but wonder if that awful illness robbed Drogba the chance of doing the same. Although he and Hazard did get the chance to play together in the Ivorians twilight years, imagine Eden and Drogba at his best linking up together? would have been quite something and would have probably got us an additional title.