Cole to be given time by England

Chelsea’s chances of signing Ashley Cole may be fading but England will not stop the full-back sorting out his future this week.

Cole was still an Arsenal player as he prepared to join his England team-mates in Manchester today ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra and Macedonia.

The transfer window closes at midnight on Thursday but England commitments do not prevent transfers taking place.

Andrew Johnson completed his £8.6m move from Crystal Palace to Everton while on international duty before the World Cup.

It would be counter-productive for the Football Association to refuse Cole permission to leave the team’s northern base to tie up his transfer before the window shuts.

Such a stance would also go against the grain of Steve McClaren’s policy to forge better working relationships between the clubs and the national team.

Within reason, McClaren will allow Cole time off to complete any move but sources close to the player today suggested the long, drawn-out transfer saga was no closer to a conclusion.

Chelsea and Arsenal remain at loggerheads, unable to agree on Cole’s value or whether Blues defender William Gallas should join the Gunners as part of the package.

Arsenal’s interest in Gallas appears to have complicated the transfer rather than eased it through – as the clubs now disagree over the value of two players rather than just one.

The relationship between the London clubs has deteriorated badly during the saga and personal pride presents another potential obstacle to a late deal being struck.

Chelsea are understood to be ready to pay more than £20m for Cole and could return with a final offer to tempt Arsenal before Thursday’s deadline.

Arsene Wenger says he is “sceptical” that the move will go through but it only takes one of the clubs to swallow their pride and budge on the negotiations for it all to be back on.

It now suits both clubs to try and force the transfer through.

There is no doubt that Jose Mourinho still wants Cole, despite the recent signing of versatile defender Khalid Boulahrouz and the improved form of Wayne Bridge.

Mourinho said: “We are not desperate. Wayne Bridge is playing very well but we have only one left-back and that is the problem.”

Cole, 25, played for Arsenal’s reserves in a 4-0 win against Charlton yesterday in a bid to stay sharp ahead of the two England games.

But it would be difficult for Wenger to welcome Cole back into the first-team fold after his summer of unrest.

Mourinho, who loses most of his first-team squad to international duty this week, gave his players a day off from training today.

Didier Drogba is one of only a handful of senior players left behind at Chelsea.

The Ivory Coast have no game so Drogba and Salomon Kalou will train with back-up keepers Carlo Cudicini and Henrique Hilario.

Arjen Robben, Joe Cole and Robert Huth have all been ruled out of international games by injuries and stay behind for treatment.