After a serious injury, it is difficult for any player to recapture his fitness and form. Joe Cole suffered cruciate ligament damage in his knee in January, a very grave injury, which has kept him out of action until recently. Since the injury, Cole has lost his starting place in the England team, and is hoping to get back into Fabio Capello's thoughts before the World Cup starts in June. So for both England and Chelsea fans, the question must be whether Joe Cole can return to his best form?
Quality in abundance
At his height, Joe Cole can be one of the most devastating players in the Premier League. Blessed with extraordinary skill (which he had from a young age at West Ham), Cole has worked hard on his team-play, adding defensive responsibility to his armoury of talents. Tricks and flicks have, over time, been combined with cutting passes and tenacious tackles creating a potent combination which has unsurprisingly seen him become integral to the squads of both Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant.
Hungry for success
While injury robbed him of the chance to perform during Chelsea's run in at the end of last season, one can only assume that his return has seen Cole even more hungry to succeed this time around; after all with a World Cup on the horizon, a Champions League duck to break and the possibility of a third Premier League medal the stakes are high.
Cole, while playing on his unfavoured left-side of midfield, was one of England’s star performers in the 2006 World Cup; it was a tournament which cemented his place as a Three Lions regular. However, after last season’s setback, Cole has lost his position. Fabio Capello has tinkered with his formation working Gareth Barry into the equation and shifting the dynamic Steven Gerrard onto the left flank. Cole will hope that he can get his position back, but will have his work cut out. Even if he is able to regain his form by the time of the World Cup, Cole will need to break into an entrenched midfield, and there is no guarantee of that.
Injury ramifications
A serious injury can dramatically impact a player's career. While certain individuals are able to put their travails behind them, others have struggled to overcome both the mental and physical impediments. Cole's latest cameo performances certainly indicate that he is able to replicate his form of seasons-gone-by a demonstrate a confidence and strength of character which could be attributed to former experiences. In 2006-2007 Cole was forced to sit out much of the seaon with a stress fracture before returning to first team action.
This term the Stamford Bridge faithful have been treated to seeing Cole at the heart of victories over Blackburn (5-0) and Wolves (4-0), and seemingly back to his former glories. While Cole was deemed not fit enough to be eligible for selection for the England international friendly against Brazil, there is no indication that he is out of favour with Fabio Capello.
A spearhead for club and country
While Joe Cole has fallen down the pecking order internationally, it is reported that Capello still holds him in very high regard. New Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti feels likewise, and while Cole is being used sparingly as he regains fitness, Ancelotti's plan is to have the 28-year-old spearhead his trademarked diamond formation.
The fact that Ancelotti plans to play Cole in such a pivotal role emphasises Cole's ability and his importance to Chelsea. If the World Cup started next month Cole would not be in the starting eleven for the first game, however, the player himself knows that such circumstances can change. With both time on his hands and the knowledge that his national team coach puts so much emphasis on domestic form, the midfielder can take heart.
The dominant displays already shown by Cole would suggest that he is capable of producing performances of the necessary quality throughout the season. The injury which forced him to miss Chelsea's Champions League and FA Cup runs in early 2009 (and the whole of Guus Hiddink's management at Stamford Bridge), as well as losing him his England place, have given Cole the hunger and desire to win trophies this season, and if he can stay fit, both Chelsea and England fans will see Joe Cole at his best over the next few months.