Ray Wilkins has confirm that both Yuri zhirkov and Joe cole are going to play the carling cup match on wednesday against QPR. The assistant manager was speaking ahead of the third round clash at Stamford Bridge, which provides manager Carlo Ancelotti with an opportunity to test some of his periphery figures while welcoming back key first-teamers from injury.
Cole has not featured in the first team since his cruciate ligament injury in January, while Zhirkov is still awaiting his debut after a summer switch from CSKA Moscow.
'We haven't finalised the side yet but Joe Cole and Zhirkov will start, so that's good news for all concerned. They will be very important players as the season progresses so it's nice that they will come back in,' said Wilkins.
'When you can't use a player of Joe's ability, any side in the country would miss him, because he has that bit of fantasy that can open up defences. We have missed him but we have a squad that can compensate for such a loss.'
Asked how he would describe Zhirkov, Wilkins added: 'A very fluid footballer, left-sided, which is always very pleasant, a great mover and a great footballer.
'He has been out now for quite a period so it will be lovely to see him back out demonstrating what he can do, because if he demonstrates half of what he has shown in training we have a very pleasant player on our books.'
Also in the squad will be Paulo Ferreira, another cruciate ligament victim, and a number of young players, including Fabio Borini who made his debut on Sunday as a late substitute.
'Paulo will come back into the squad, whether Carlo decides to use him initially is another matter, but it's a chance to use the squad in the Carling Cup. We have a large squad here, and that's what we will do tomorrow night,' Wilkins explained, before discussing the promising youngsters that have been around the first team squad recently - Borini, Sam Hutchinson, Jeffrey Bruma and Gael Kakuta.
'They are all players that have impressed Carlo, he has watched the majority of reserve games since he has been here. It gives us an opportunity to bring these young men in and hopefully use them later in the season.
'If we progress in the Carling Cup then I am sure we will see a large number of these players used. [The transfer ban] is a great opportunity, and we will appeal against the ban, but it is a great opportunity for the young players to push themselves forward so the manager can see.
'There will be a few rested but we have a large squad, so it's an opportunity to put them at Stamford Bridge in front of 38,000 where it will be an important game for us.'
Wilkins is a former player and manager of QPR, and remembers his time at Loftus Road well.
'It was a very enjoyable stage in my career at a great little club and I enjoyed it, it was good fun. It has changed, they do have financial backing now but they are still the same club on the footballing side, they have always tried to play football. The managers they had always wanted to play football and Jim [Magilton] is the same.
'They are coming off the back of a fantastic result on Saturday (a 2-0 win away at Cardiff), so they will be coming with their spirits high and looking forward to a game at Stamford Bridge.
'It is always good to be drawn against a team in a higher league to see what you can go and do against them. I think they will bring 6,000 so they will be looking forward to it and it's up to us to make it an unhappy evening for them.'
By:Shane Evans
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