Boss reveals duo fears

Roberto Di Matteo says he fears Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole could be sold in January or leave Chelsea for free in the summer.

The Blues duo are both out of contract at the end of the season and there have been suggestions they will be allowed to leave unless they accept one-year deals. That is unlikely to happen, especially in Cole's case as the defender is a few years younger than Lampard and still has a number of seasons in him at the highest level. Cole will not be short of offers and Manchester United are in the hunt along with Real Madrid, while Lampard could opt for a lucrative move to either China or America. Di Matteo clearly wants to keep hold of both players but admits the decision is out of his hands, just like it was with Didier Drogba last season. "Yeah, but that's the world of football," Di Matteo revealed. "That's how you live in this world, in this industry. "We had the same last season with some players and, at the end of the day, we all have to be professional and try to do our best, even though maybe the contract is not sorted out."