Jose Mourinho will not give Ashley Cole a fatherly reprimand for gatecrashing Arsenal’s Christmas party, but the Chelsea boss made it clear he was less than impressed with the defender’s antics on Wednesday night.
Cole, who celebrated his 33rd birthday yesterday, will be ‘on the bench or at home’ when Chelsea and Arsenal meet in the Premier League on Monday, after being photographed leaving the same London nightclub that hosted his former club’s festive bash earlier this week.
The left back, who left Arsenal in 2006, joined Arsene Wenger’s squad at Libertine just off Oxford Street after Chelsea scrapped plans for a Christmas party scheduled on the same day following the club’s Capital One Cup defeat by Sunderland.
Mourinho stressed Cole had not broken any rules by going out on a day off before an afternoon training session on Thursday, but said he had his ‘own opinions’ about the incident.
The Chelsea boss said: ‘I have my opinion but I 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.’
Mourinho also said Cole will be dropped again for Monday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium after earning a recall for last week’s loss to Sunderland.
Cesar Azpilicueta has recovered from a knock and will return to the left side of defence.
Cole has not started a Premier League game since November 2.
Although his contract runs out in June, he is still expected to be offered a new deal at Stamford Bridge. – Daily Mail