Source: SKY_Sports
Cole won't rush comeback
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole insists he will not be rushing back from injury this time after finally learning his lessons from past mistakes.
The 27-year-old has previously returned from injuries too soon or played on with niggles, culminating in his current absence from The Blues' starting line-up.
Cole has not played for Chelsea since January after rupturing a cruciate knee ligament in their 4-1 FA Cup replay success over Southend at Roots Hall.
Although Cole is on the road to full fitness the former West Ham man is against setting a date and putting pressure on when he will be available for a return to action.
"I won't come back until I am completely ready," he told the club's official website. "I will come back when I'm ready to go now, whenever that may be.
"My opinion is I got this major injury because all through the start of the season I was playing with niggles. I had ankle injuries and came back too soon.
"The manager wanted me back, and my natural tendency is that I want to play and get out there and play through the pain. It was my call and maybe that is a harsh lesson learned."
Cole is especially wary of being fully-fit in pre-season and showing whoever is the club's long-term manager going forward what he can do in order to put his injury-hit 07/08 campaign firmly behind him.
"Particularly with a new manager, I don't want to come into training and not be able to show what I can do. The fans want to see me playing well; they don't pay their money to see me running around on one leg," he continued.
"I am starting to feel more like a footballer now I have got the ball out. I am not allowing it to get me down. Being an injured Chelsea player is probably the second best job in the world behind being a Chelsea player.
"I come in every day and do what the physios tell me to do to the letter. Then we'll see where it takes me.
"The way I see it is when I get injured then I come back stronger. I'm coming into my peak years. The next five years will be the best years of my career so I want to get myself bullet proof."
