Former Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd has warned Chelsea about allowing Ashley Cole to return ahead of schedule from his ankle injury.

Cole's injury problems revived painful memories of Michael Owen's devastating knee trouble after the striker rushed back from injury for the 2006 World Cup finals.

"The parallels are there with Michael Owen when he was at Newcastle and look what happened to us," Shepherd told the Telegraph.

"He came back too soon and the rest is history. If I was Chelsea I would be very careful because there will be enormous pressure on them to ensure Ashley Cole is fit for the World Cup.

"It is the classic club-versus-country dilemma but first and foremost he is a Chelsea asset and they are the ones who pay his wages.

"Chelsea won't want him going away to play in a World Cup unless he is 100 per cent fit and they are the ones who should make that decision, nobody else."