Title rivals rocked as Cole and Giggs KO’d

THE Premier League’s pace setters were each dealt an injury blow yesterday when it was confirmed that Chelsea’s Ashley Cole and Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs face significant lay-offs.

Indeed, Cole faces a fight to be fit in time for the World Cup finals in South Africa after the Blues defender fractured his ankle in Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat at Everton.

And United’s have been dealt a Champions League hammer blow with Giggs ruled out for four weeks with a fractured arm.

Ironically, Cole’s injury will provide former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge with the chance to become Fabio Capello’s first-choice left-back.

Bridge has been at the centre of a media storm involving his former Stamford Bridge team-mate John Terry in recent weeks.

A spokesman for Chelsea confirmed Cole would miss the next three months of the season.

“Ashley suffered a fracture to his left ankle in last night’s game against Everton and is expected to be out of action for approximately three months,” he said.

Chelsea are fortunate they will have enough cover to cope with Cole’s absence. Russia international Yury Zhirkov is comfortable at left-back and Portugal international Paulo Ferreira can also play in the same position, despite being signed by former boss Jose Mourinho as a right-back.

Chelsea’s defeat at Everton has left them just one point clear of United at the top of the league.

Terry, reeling from the loss of the England captaincy and further revelations about his private life, was at fault for both of Everton’s goals at Goodison Park.

The club have since given the defender permission to fly out to Dubai in a bid to patch up his marriage to wife Toni.

Terry left Heathrow yesterday morning and will miss tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth round tie with Cardiff at Stamford Bridge.

Alex Ferguson sounded optimistic about Giggs immediately after United’s draw at Aston Villa on Wednesday night but the delicate way Giggs held his right arm after the second-half collision with Steve Sidwell and the fact he left for an X-ray with his arm in a sling suggested bad news was on its way.

Giggs will miss both legs of the Champions League encounter with AC Milan – and a reunion with old friend David Beckham – the Carling Cup final against Villa at Wembley on February 28, plus a sequence of key Premier League matches.

The only good news is that a four-week absence suggests the damage is relatively minor and Giggs should be back before the crunch encounter with Liverpool at Old Trafford on March 31, plus the Champions League quarter-finals the following month, if Ferguson’s team make it that far.

It provides Ferguson with a double headache in terms of his wide players because Nani must now serve a three-match ban following his dismissal for a reckless tackle on Stiliyan Petrov.

Although the suspension only applies to domestic matches, as Giggs will also be missing when United tackle Everton on February 20 and West Ham three days later, plus the Carling Cup showpiece, Ferguson will have to rely on Antonio Valencia to provide genuine width, unless he turns to the largely untested Gabriel Obertan.

Although he will lament the loss of Giggs and Nani, Ferguson will have Rio Ferdinand back for the San Siro tussle and after suggesting Nemanja Vidic was nearing full fitness following a nerve problem last week, the Serbian might also be available.

Crucially, his side also have virtually an entire week to prepare following that unexpected FA Cup third-round exit against Leeds last month.

“In terms of preparing for a European tie, we are pleased to have a free weekend,” said Ferguson.

“AC Milan are playing on Friday night. That is the kind of help European teams get from their countries. We don’t get that here.

“By fortune we don’t have a game (tomorrow) because we are out of the FA Cup and we are going to take full advantage of it.

“The players will have a couple of days off because they have worked hard and we will start again on (tomorrow).”