Cole warns Gunners as Chelsea return to full strength

24 December 2010 15:00
Ashley Cole has warned Arsenal that Chelsea are ready to fire after finally getting all their big guns back ahead of Monday's night's derby clash. The faltering Barclays Premier League champions will be at full strength for the first time in four months at the Emirates Stadium, where they romped to a 3-0 win last season. Chelsea are on their worst run in the league for more than a decade, having won just one of their last seven games and slumping from top to fourth spot. Injuries to the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien hit them hard but all three are back, with star midfielder Lampard set to start his first game since August. And England left-back Cole is confident the Blues can reignite their title defence with a victory over his former club. "We've been disappointing in our last six games and it's a big contrast to how we started the season, but we have a lot of big players back to fitness and it's going to give us a boost," he said. "Any team who has their top players out is going to be affected. Now the big guys are back, hopefully we can turn our season around because it is getting to the important part."

Source: PA