There is good news for England fans with the news that Ashley Cole is set to start on the bench for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. (Spurs 11/4, draw 12/5, Chelsea 10/11).
Cole has been out of action for two months since fracturing his ankle in a clash against Everton in February and although he has not played any practice games since he returned to training, Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he will be part of the squad for the trip to White Hart Lane. He has returned quicker than expected – he had been initially pencilled in to return at the end of April – and Ancelotti has been quick to praise Cole’s commitment and the Stamford Bridge medical staff.
The return of Cole will be seen as a boost for both Chelsea and England. Chelsea are hoping to secure the double this season and are currently four points ahead of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League. Three points against Spurs will take them one step closer to their first league title since 2006. They are 10/11 to beat Spurs and 1/8 favourites to win the league.
Chelsea are also in line for the double after their 3-0 success against Aston Villa last weekend secured an FA Cup final appearance against Portsmouth on May 15. They are 1/4 to lift the famous trophy. However, Ancelotti has been quick to tell his players to forget all aspirations of winning the double and has urged them to retain their focus.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ancelotti stated;
“My work is very easy, because they know what they need to do. We never speak about the double. That’s not the right way to prepare at all.
“It is not a formality we will win the title. We have to play very important and difficult games and we have to pay attention.
“Now, the title is not so sure for us. We have to fight again. We are working to win both the league and the FA Cup. We are involved in both and in a very good position, but nothing is decided.”
Ancelotti is aware that Spurs will be a tricky prospect and they impressed him during their 2-1 defeat of Arsenal in midweek.
Meanwhile, Joe Cole is focusing on club over country for the time being, although he has not given up hope of being recalled to Fabio Capello’s England squad ahead of the World Cup.
Both Coles have suffered with injuries this season and patchy form has seen Joe drop out of the England reckoning. However, he knows that you can’t talk your way into the England squad and he is focused on playing his best for Chelsea, helping them to secure a historic double. After that, he has admitted what will be, will be.
Speaking about the prospect of playing in the World Cup, he stated; “I just want to work hard for my team-mates and whatever happens happens. It’s obviously something I’d like to play in but at the moment I’m just concentrating on helping Chelsea win the title.”
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