England defender Ashley Cole will be "ready for the World Cup", according to his boss at Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti.
"The England staff are in contact with our medical staff and in 15 days Ashley will be back with the squad," he said.
Cole's rehabilitation from surgery has progressed better than expected after he broke his ankle in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat by Everton on 10 February.
The left-back is expected to be available for Chelsea's last three Premier League games of the season.
He was expected to be ruled out for three months but he has beaten that target and should have had some first-team action under his belt by the time Fabio Capello picks his initial 35-man squad for South Africa on 12 May.
England kick off their World Cup campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday 12 June.
The announcement coincides with a similarly positive bulletin on key Manchester United and England player Wayne Rooney. The striker's club manager Sir Alex Ferguson said on Friday he expected to have Rooney back in his squad in "two to three weeks".
While the tremendous goal-scoring form of Rooney this season makes him a key component for England in June's World Cup, a fully-fit Cole is also expected to be a definite pick by Capello in South Africa.
Chelsea, whose resources in defence are stretched with Branislav Ivanovic and Jose Bosingwa also injured, will have to cope without Cole for the Premier League trips to Manchester United, Bolton and Tottenham, plus the FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa.
But Cole could return on 25 April when Chelsea take on Stoke at Stamford Bridge, before finishing off their season against Liverpool and Wigan.
"The England staff are in contact with our medical staff and in 15 days Ashley will be back with the squad," he said.
Cole's rehabilitation from surgery has progressed better than expected after he broke his ankle in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat by Everton on 10 February.
The left-back is expected to be available for Chelsea's last three Premier League games of the season.
He was expected to be ruled out for three months but he has beaten that target and should have had some first-team action under his belt by the time Fabio Capello picks his initial 35-man squad for South Africa on 12 May.
England kick off their World Cup campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday 12 June.
The announcement coincides with a similarly positive bulletin on key Manchester United and England player Wayne Rooney. The striker's club manager Sir Alex Ferguson said on Friday he expected to have Rooney back in his squad in "two to three weeks".
While the tremendous goal-scoring form of Rooney this season makes him a key component for England in June's World Cup, a fully-fit Cole is also expected to be a definite pick by Capello in South Africa.
Chelsea, whose resources in defence are stretched with Branislav Ivanovic and Jose Bosingwa also injured, will have to cope without Cole for the Premier League trips to Manchester United, Bolton and Tottenham, plus the FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa.
But Cole could return on 25 April when Chelsea take on Stoke at Stamford Bridge, before finishing off their season against Liverpool and Wigan.
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