After 8 months away from the game after suffering a torn ACL back in January against Southend United and undergoing a Meniscus scope mid July, Chelsea and England International Joe Cole is set to return on Wednesday night against Queens Park Rangers in the Carling Cup.
Via Guardian
“We want to prepare him to stay well for the Carling Cup on Wednesday,” the Italian says of the meeting with Queens Park Rangers, when Cole may start. “We have to improve his physical condition. I think Joe Cole is a very important player. He has a lot of technical quality and we need this quality. He’s an English player and knows very well the atmosphere in the team. He’s well-respected by the other players. If he stays [fit], and I think he will, he’s an important player for us.”
Which position Cole is selected for will have interesting implications for his long-term club and international career. Frank Lampard has been deployed by Ancelotti this season at the tip of the diamond, the position Cole has coveted throughout his career, but Ancelotti’s predecessors, Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari were never convinced.
It is conceivable that Lampard’s flexibility may allow Ancelotti to move him to the left or right and allow Cole to play behind Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. But apart from Florent Malouda, Chelsea have few other specialist attacking wide players, and they have appeared too narrow on occasion this season. So his ability to dribble suggests Ancelotti may ask him to operate close to the touchline while utilising his penchant for cutting inside.
Cole has had injury frustrations before. Following the 2006 World Cup which was successful for Cole and included a sublime goal against Sweden, knee and foot injuries have plagued him. But he still managed 27 appearances that season so these last months have marked the first serious injury of his career.
Will he be able to recover from it? “Joe will. He’s fearless,” is Redknapp’s instant reply. Can he be a factor for England again? “Yeah. I think he will, I’m sure he’ll be in the World Cup squad. I have not seen a more a naturally gifted player. He could beat four or five players, he was just incredible. And he’s got fantastic desire. He works, he’s aggressive, wants to do well.”
This will to return and prosper was evident in Cole’s response to a first week back training this month. “It’s been a good week,” he said. “Eight months out is a long time and I was a bit sluggish here and there. But it is just good to be back.”
Image via Gallery
