Jose Mourinho will bring Ashley Cole in from cold

JOSE MOURINHO is ready to recall Ashley Cole to the Chelsea first team tomorrow.

OUT OF FAVOUR: Cole lost his place in Mourinho's team [GETTY]

The left-back is set to start the home Champions League game against Steaua Bucharest, and Mourinho could also have Brazilian midfielder Oscar back after injury.

Cole has been confined to the bench ever since Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle on November 2. He was struggling with a rib injury at first but the Portuguese has publicly praised the form of replacement Cesar Azpilicueta – and said the England man would have to win that first-team spot back.

Cole, 32, desperately needs to get back into Mourinho’s plans and keep his place, with the World Cup next summer in mind.

Mourinho had said he would be bringing Cole back at some point after using the right-footed Azpilicueta in his place for the past five matches, and it looks set to be against the Romanians tomorrow, when a victory for Chelsea, already through to the next stage, will mean they win the group.

Oscar tweaked his groin in the victory over Southampton last week but Chelsea’s third Premier League loss of the season at Stoke on Saturday may well have prompted changes to his inconsistent side anyway.

After the 3-2 defeat at the Britannia Stadium, Mourinho moaned about his strikers – Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba – who have netted just four league goals between them all season.