Premier League title favourites Chelsea (5/6 Outright) will be without first-choice right-back Jose Bosingwa for around three months after he underwent knee surgery.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti will now have to shuffle his pack until February in the absence of the Portugal international, with England left-back Ashley Cole also struggling with a depressed fracture of a bone in his shin.

Cole does not need an operation, however, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will have to sit out any more games having missed three matches prior to his return to the side against Atletico Madrid on November 3.

Cole then played in the win over Manchester United last Sunday but needed a painkilling injection and was subsequently pulled out of the England squad to face Brazil in Qatar on Saturday.

Ancelotti will turn to Juliano Belletti and Branislav Ivanovic in the short term but all eyes will be on the Italian once the transfer window re-opens in January.

The Blues’ transfer ban has been lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport pending a final decision over the club’s appeal after being found guilty of inducing teenage Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with French club Lens.

Chelsea return to league action against Wolves at Stamford Bridge on November 21.

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