New contract talks between Chelsea and Joe
Cole have stalled.
The London Evening Standard says the stumbling block is
not over money but Cole's concerns over whether he will be employed
by Carlo Ancelotti as a
first-team regular or a squad player.
The 28-year-old, who has struggled to get back to his best form
since returning from a serious knee injury in September, would love
to stay at Chelsea for the rest
of his career.
But it is believed he expressed his anxiety over his role
earlier in the season when he was an unused substitute in the
Champions League tie against Atletico
Madrid.