• Midfielder hoping to play important role in title chase
• ‘There is no doubting what I can do. I just need games’

Joe Cole is putting his World Cup dream to one side in order to concentrate on making Chelsea champions again. Cole has endured a difficult time since returning from cruciate surgery in September and was left out of Fabio Capello’s squad for the recent friendly win over Egypt at Wembley.

At the time, Capello claimed Cole was “not the same player” as he had been before the injury and doubts were raised about the 28-year-old’s chances of going to South Africa. But after scoring Chelsea’s opener in the 2-1 win at Manchester United Cole was refusing to look beyond the title run-in.

“You cannot talk your way into the England squad,” he told the BBC. “If I am playing regularly in a team fighting to be champions I will have every chance. But my main focus now is Chelsea. It is very important this club gets back to the summit of English football. I want to be part of the team that becomes champions again.”

Cole admits he has found it hard to hold down a regular place in Carlo Ancelotti’s side. With fierce competition for places at Stamford Bridge Cole had to wait until a minor injury kept Drogba out of the 7-1 win over Aston Villa before being given another chance in a five-man midfield.

“It is not down to me to pick the team,” said Cole. “But I enjoy playing on that right side. We changed the system in January and things went really well. We also changed the system in the last three games and the same thing has happened. I never lost belief in myself and there is no doubting what I can do. I just needed a run of games.”

Cole’s recent performances might also break the impasse over a new contract, after the midfielder previously confirmed that talks were getting nowhere. United have been mentioned as a potential suitor, although Cole was offering no favours yesterday as Chelsea made their first-half dominance count.

With three home games in a five-match run-in that also includes trickier trips to Tottenham and Liverpool, Chelsea are in control of their own destiny again.

“The main thing now is that the team keeps winning,” Cole said. “It is all we can do. I want to keep my place but above all else Chelsea need to win.”

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