Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole has been out of the team since the hamstring he suffered against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Stamford Bridge on Easter Monday, but he could be back for the game against Liverpool at Anfield at the weekend.
The games have been coming thick and fast for the Blues & Cole has already missed four matches despite only being out for a relatively short space of time.
Interim manager Rafael Benitez has said that Cole should be available for selection again soon. Unfortunately the match against Fulham this Wednesday has come too soon for him but he is close to a return, admitted Benitez.
“He will not be back for Wednesday. He is getting closer but not for this game.”
For what it is worth I think Ryan Bertrand has done fairly well since Cole got injured, bar a few dodgy moments when he came off the bench in the game against Manchester United, so there’s no need to rush Cole back. It was the sort of break Bertrand needed too, as he’d suffered for form as a result of being played out of position on the left wing by both Benitez and Roberto Di Matteo this season.