Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti remains hopeful Ashley Cole can play before the end of the season.

Cole limped out of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at Everton on Wednesday night after being caught on his left ankle by on-loan USA star Landon Donovan. He now faces a race to be fit to face Donovan again in England's opening group game in South Africa against the United States on June 12.

Ancelotti said: "He has a big problem, probably out for three months, but we hope for Fabio and for the England team that he is ready for the World Cup. I hope that he may yet be ready before the end of the season for us, too."