Uefa Champions League/ Group A Werder Bremen v Chelsea: Joe Cole may have sensed this was going to be a difficult season when he hurt a knee in Chelsea's first friendly in the US in August. A combination of injury and results have restricted him to a bit-part role since, but this evening the 25-year-old midfielder will be granted a chance to stake a claim to a regular place.
Jose Mourinho confirmed Cole will begin against Werder Bremen, only his third start of the campaign. Despite being England's liveliest performer against The Netherlands last week, the former West Ham player has needed to show patience, and he will hope to do enough to give Mourinho something to ponder before Sunday's match away to Manchester United.
The manager emphasised, though, that Cole should not try too hard to catch his eye in place of Arjen Robben, who will be on the bench. Mourinho hinted he wants Cole to avoid self-indulgence or feel pressure, and continue to show the discipline he has added to his talent.
"The opportunity is not to impress me or to make me think he is a very good player, because I know he is a very good player and he doesn't need to impress me," Mourinho said. "What I know is that his injury is not an easy one. It's the kind that lasts a long time. Even when you are playing you feel the knee ligaments a bit in some movements. Sometimes it goes for months.
"It is a good opportunity for him to play in a high-level game, and to start a game is always easier than coming on in the second half when everybody has the pace and dynamic of the game. It is good for him to prepare mentally for the game. He has known since yesterday that he will play.
"He has a lot to give us. Last season he was crucial for our title in the Premiership and it is very important for a squad like us to have everybody . . . Joe at his maximum level is important for us."
It is hard to see Cole being anything other than a substitute at Old Trafford, with Claude Makelele, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack seemingly the preferred midfield. Mourinho rejected suggestions that his greater use of 4-4-2 has hampered Cole, who has often been deployed as part of a three-man front line. He said Cole was first "a victim of the injury" and now of performances and results. "It's not easy for a manager to change the team when the team is doing so well, but he is coming up," he said. "He is improving."
Mourinho took the unusual step of naming his starting XI and it was as strong as he had promised, and Barcelona hoped. The Catalan club's chances of progressing will be helped if Chelsea defeat Bremen, and Mourinho reiterated that he is taking tonight seriously. A point would make Chelsea group winners.
Aside from Cole, his other two changes are enforced, with Khalid Boulahrouz replacing the injured Ricardo Carvalho and Ballack back in place of the suspended Lampard.
"I only play to lose when I play against my kids, because I want them to be happy," Mourinho said. "After that football is to win - friendlies, Champions League, Premiership."
Ballack's international colleague Per Mertesacker, a Bremen centre-half, said he believes the midfielder "would prefer if Bremen reach the next stage rather than Barcelona" to enhance Germany's reputation, but it can be taken for granted Ballack will be playing to his maximum.
Mourinho expects Carvalho to be available on Sunday, and welcomed Howard Webb's appointment as the match official. "He looks for me a very solid referee," he said. "He is the kind of referee that normally gets the big decisions of the match correct."
One of Mourinho's big decisions has been to bring back Carlo Cudicini. The Italian goalkeeper acknowledged he had words with the manager when Hilario was chosen ahead of him to play at Barcelona last month.
"Players are selfish," Cudicini said. "I talked to the manager and said I thought I was ready, but we are talking about a nice person, so there was no fighting or shouting. It was a confrontation. We talked, and it's something I have done in the past two years with him, so there's nothing major."
