England manager hoping for Cole

Friday 12th February 2010

England manager Fabio Capello is hopeful for Ashley Cole to make a comeback in time for the World Cup finals in South Africa. However, the Press Association (PA) reports that the injured player's broken ankle is likely to keep him out of action for most of the remaining time before the tournament gets underway. Even if he is able to return to the national squad for the World Cup, he will have precious little time to get back into the groove at domestic level. Based on the predicted timescale for recovery, the PA predicts that Cole could only be expected to take part in the FA Cup and Champions League finals - and, even then, only if Chelsea reach that far. Cole's appearance in the England squad could prove a crucial factor in the team's chances of success in the 2010 World Cup. At present, England are ranked third-favourites at the bookmakers, at odds of between 5/1 and 6/1. Only Spain and Brazil are seeing more interest from the betting public, with odds of 4/1 and 5/1 respectively.