Former Chelsea star Michael Essien and ex-West Ham United striker Carlton Cole are facing potential jail time in Indonesia.

The two former Premier League players recently signed for Indonesian side Persib Bandun.

However, they were soon banned from playing in the country after it was revealed that their club missed the deadline to register them.

As it turned out, both players played for their former side while on a visitor's permit – an offence with up to five years in jail as a punishment.

"As of Tuesday, April 18, 2017, Persib Bandung have not applied for a permanent residency permit, the visitor's permit is for a limited time," immigration chief Maulia Purnamawati explained in a statement.

A spokesperson for the immigration authorities said: "They are professionals so they must hold a permit to perform activities in Indonesia."