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Chelsea's Ashley Cole is Gunner miss out playing against Arsenal again
JOSE MOURINHO is staying tight-lipped about Ashley’s Cole night out with Chelsea’s rivals Arsenal just five days before the clubs meet at the Emirates.
The Chelsea manager has confirmed, however, Cole will be missing from his line-up on Monday, against his old club, after returning to the side for the Capital One Cup defeat at Sunderland on Tuesday.
Mourinho insisted the defender had not broken any club rules when he visited a west London nightclub on Wednesday with team-mates Andre Schurrle and Ryan Bertrand, the same evening the Arsenal squad was holding its Christmas fancy dress party.
Mourinho said: “I have my opinion but I will keep it for myself. It was a free day for them, so I’m not a father. I’m a manager.
“I can control what they do when they are with me. I cannot control what they do when they are not with me. I don’t want to comment. I’ve not even given my opinion to Ashley Cole, because I don’t have to.”
Asked if Cole would be playing at Arsenal, Mourinho said: “On the bench or at home.
“He won’t play from the beginning, no.
“I will play Branislav Ivanovic at right-back and Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back, and John Terry. I have to make a decision between Gary Cahill and David Luiz.”