• FA Cup

Benitez confirms Cole and Cahill double blow

ESPN staff
April 1, 2013

Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez has confirmed he will be without both Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole through injury for crucial upcoming games.

Cole limped off in the first half of the 1-0 FA Cup win over Manchester United after pulling up when chasing for the ball with Danny Welbeck.

And Cahill, who was forced out of the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers last month, was not in the Chelsea squad for the 2-1 defeat at Southampton or the win over United.

Asked about Cole, Benitez said: "This kind of injury at least two weeks. That means for us maybe 20 games or something.''

Cahill is out for "another 15 days at least'', Benitez said.

It means Cahill and Cole will miss both legs of the Europa League quarter-final with Rubin Kazan as well as the Premier League home game with Sunderland.

Both seem major doubts for the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City on April 14.

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