Source: Daily_Mail
No go Joe: Ancelotti insists Joe Cole will be a Chelsea player next season
True blue: Joe Cole's manager expects him to stay at Stamford Bridge[LNB]Carlo Ancelotti insists Joe Cole will be a Chelsea player next season even though he cannot guarantee him regular first-team football.[LNB]The Italian coach will leave Cole on the bench for tomorrow's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Preston at Deepdale.[LNB]The England midfielder's current contract at Stamford Bridge expires in the summer and talks over a new deal have yet to reach a conclusion.[LNB]The main stumbling block is understood to be Cole's desire for regular first-team football as opposed to a massive hike in his salary.[LNB]But while Ancelotti insists the player will still be at the club next season, like the rest of his squad, he cannot guarantee the 28-year-old a regular place in the starting line-up.[LNB]'No, I cannot guarantee to Joe Cole that he'll play for Chelsea in every game,' said Ancelotti. 'I cannot guarantee that to any of my players. I never guarantee that to my players, even the big players. How can a manager guarantee that to the players? That's impossible.[LNB]'I don't have any news on his contract. He will stay at Chelsea next year. I'm 100% clear.[LNB]'I don't like to speak about him all the time. He will be in the squad for next year, as I say. It's my aim. It's the aim of the club to keep him in the squad because Joe Cole is an important player, a very professional player, he has a lot of quality and is young.[LNB]'He is a player of the national team. He is English. For these reasons, we want to keep him in the squad.[LNB]'But I want to keep out maybe Joe Cole and Florent Malouda tomorrow. The team will be: Hilario, Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Belletti, Ballack, Lampard, Deco, Anelka and Sturridge.[LNB] Aiming high: Cole (right centre) was Roman Abramovich's second signing [LNB]'I think that we have all the players available to play. Only Ashley Cole is out because he has a problem with his ankle.'[LNB]But Ancelotti revealed Ghana's Michael Essien will be out for up to six weeks after returning home from the African Nations Cup with a knee injury after the midfielder sustained medial ligament damage in training.[LNB]The 27-years-old will miss Chelsea's title showdown with Arsenal and their Champions League last-16 clash with Inter Milan in Italy. Ancelotti is hoping Essien's knee will respond to treatment but admitted it was bad news.[LNB]Meniscus tear: Essien is back in England after an ill-fated spell in Angola with Ghana[LNB]'He had a tear in his meniscus and has to stay out for four to six weeks. I hope four, but maybe six,' confirmed Ancelotti. 'In January, Essien wasn't going to be here anyway because he was at the African Nations Cup. It's not good news, but I think that we will do a good job again.'[LNB]After Leeds' triumph over Manchester United and Reading's successover Liverpool, Ancelotti is mindful of the threat posed to the holdersby Championship side Preston. [LNB]The side are now managed byDarren Ferguson, son of Manchester United's Sir Alex, and Ancelottiexpects the North End boss to have asked his father for some advice.[LNB]'Idon't know Darren,' added the Italian. 'It's a good reason to meet himtomorrow. I think it's possible he'll ask his father about us. Like afather, Alex can give him some advice or opinion about our play. That'snormal.[LNB]'I don't know Preston very well, but I'm sure they will try to do hard work on the pitch and try to do the best.[LNB] 'Because the FA Cup is the oldest competition in the world, I think that every team, also the small teams, want to do their best in this competition.[LNB]'The FA Cup is a very important competition here. There were strange results in the last round and we don't want to have a strange result in this round. It's an important aim for this season and we have to try to win.'[LNB] City try to scupper teen star Canales' Real Madrid with £25,000 a week offerInjury blow for Chelsea as Essien is ruled out of action for up to six weeksNo way Jose! Ivanovic tells Bosingwa: I'm Chelsea's first-choice right-backArsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United? Sportsmail's lowdown on the deciding factors in the Premier League title raceCharles Sale: Chelsea face Pitch battle to oust Richard KingCHELSEA FC
