A wild Claude Makelele tackle during training left Ashley Cole close to tears and gave Chelsea a massive injury scare last night.

Cole limped out of the Blues' final training session in the Luzhniki Stadium after suffering a blow to his right ankle in a lunging tackle from Makelele.

The England left-back left the field immediately for intensive treatment and needed further strapping after his attempts to run the problem off was cut short.

The defender did briefly return to work with the rest of the Chelsea squad but, shaking his head and throwing his training bib away, left early and headed straight to the dressing room.

Manager Avram Grant, whose ashen face demonstrated his concern, is confident that Cole will be fit to help to shackle United danger man Cristiano Ronaldo.

But with his ankle badly swollen, and the possibility of things worsening overnight, it meant Wayne Bridge, whose last taste of Champions League football came in the 'dead' group game with Valencia, was on stand by to play.

Cole has missed out in Moscow before when a knee injury ruled him out of the crunch Euro2008 qualifier.

Grant will give left winger Florent Malouda the last berth in the starting line-up with Salomon Kalou missing out.

United had their own injury worries, with central defender Nemanja Vidic missing their final workout as a precaution to rest his troublesome knee injury.