• Thigh problem rules out Brazilian for a month
• Chelsea ban vuvuzelas after consulting fans

Chelsea, who are already without the goalkeeper Petr Cech, will also have the central defender Alex sidelined for the start of the season.

The Brazilian injured his thigh in training and will be out for a month, the Premier League champions said on their website.

Cech is expected to be out for a similar length of time after tearing a calf muscle in his right leg. The pair seem certain to miss the opening game of the season on 14 August at home to promoted West Bromwich Albion, who are managed by the former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, on 14 August.

Chelsea are to ban vuvuzelas from Stamford Bridge this season. “The decision has been made to ensure the continued enjoyment and safety of fans following consultation with the club’s stakeholders, including fans’ representatives who showed strong support for a ban,” said a club statement.

Chelseaguardian.co.uk

• Decision to move to Anfield a ‘no-brainer’
• Midfielder ‘jumped on board’ after hearing plans

Joe Cole today completed his free transfer from Chelsea to Liverpool and immediately risked upsetting his former employer by provocatively claiming he had joined “the biggest club in the country”. The England international, who has signed a four-year contract, dismissed suggestions that money was the motivation for moving to Liverpool and insisted that swapping Stamford Bridge for Anfield was purely a football decision.

Cole went on to describe Liverpool as a “massive club” and claimed the prospect of running out on a regular basis at the stadium that left such an indelible mark on him in 2005, when he was part of the Chelsea side defeated 1-0 in the Champions League semi-final second leg during an electric night at Anfield, was too good to turn down. Yet it is his remarks suggesting Liverpool represent a step up from Chelsea that will spark the most interest, particularly at Stamford Bridge.

“I tried to take everything out of the equation, take the financial and location side out and just thought in football terms,” Cole said, explaining how he arrived at his decision. “I thought about the semi-final of the Champions League in 2005 when I ran on to the field and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I was thinking about playing in that atmosphere every week and that swung it for