Chelsea suffered a blow ahead of Wednesday night's vital Barclays Premiership clash with Newcastle as England midfielder Joe Cole was ruled out of their festive programme with a foot injury.

A scan revealed 25-year-old Cole had suffered a minor stress fracture of the foot. The former West Ham midfielder has been dogged by injury so far this season, with a knee problem keeping him out of regular action for two months.

His comeback was curtailed when he missed the trip to Manchester United after suffering pain in his foot. The problem persisted and the Barclays Premiership champions gave Cole a scan which has revealed a stress fracture, which is likely to keep him out until well into January.