Cole To Fight For His ‘Final’ Place

Ashley Cole knows that the left back position has not already been decided, but will fight for his place & accepts the gaffers decision as final.

With the final just a little over a week away, Cole says he doesn’t expect to be in the starting line up.

‘I’ve probably come back at a good time to try to get my place back off Mathieu Flamini and Gael Clichy, who are in front of me,? said Cole.

?I won’t say I will be No 1 again because Flamini should be fit soon. But I’ve played two games and hopefully I will get my place back.?

‘Of course [it is cruel on Flamini], I’d lost my place to him and Clichy but if Flamini is not fit and I play, I’m not going to argue about that.’

‘I spoke to the manager and said I don’t expect to play in any game. He is an honourable man and if I don’t play, that’s down to him.’

‘We shall see [about the Final]. You never know. I’ve trained hard and worked hard. You need games to get fit. Flamini is out now and you could say he is not going to be fit.’

‘So I’m going to be positive and if I play, I play. If I don’t, I don’t.’


Cole has played two full premiership games and two full reserve games on his road to recovery and looked in very good form against Wigan. Wenger needs to play his strongest line up against Barca, and I believe Cole should be part of that.