Chelsea star Joe Cole handed the "sausage roll' by Blues

Stand-by for Joe Cole, the "sausage roll" in the hole for Chelsea tonight. 

The chirpy Blues midfielder gets the chance to prove he can be the missing link for club and country tonight after an eight month absence following cruciate ligament surgery.

He makes his first appearance for new Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti against QPR in the Carling Cup  at the top of  Chelsea's midfield diamond, in the position he has always craved.

And after sweating his way through an intensive rehabilitation process, Cole’s reward comes as the perfect launchpad both for his own season and the ambitions of Chelsea and England.

Ancelotti has earmarked Cole to play a key role as the “fantasy“ player in the Blues squad, the extra adornment to the power football that has seen them make the perfect start with seven straight wins.

Assistant manager Ray Wilkins revealed Cole’s pet name for the playmaker position. “Joe calls it the sausage roll, in the hole,” said Wilkins. “That’s Joe, he even asked if he could play in the sausage roll when we said he’d be starting and it’s nice to see he’s bubbling and firing about it.

“I think Joe understands we’re not playing with wide players at the moment but with people inside and he’s thrilled to be involved after such a long time out.

“After the reconstruction he’s gone through, his knee is far better prepared for football now and he’s much stronger. Yes, he’ll be a bit ring-rusty and there were times when even he was down mentally.

“Joe offers that bit of fantasy, something different that can give us the edge in games. He can go both sides, plays a pass, and his work ethic is quite special.

“The other thing is that the World Cup is a lovely carrot for him. He can provide something, most certainly, and a fully fit Joe Cole will be very much around the England squad.”

Ancelotti said: “I think Joe Cole is a very important player for us.

“He has lot of technical quality and we need this quality. He’s an English player and knows very well the atmosphere in the team. He’s well respected by the other players. If he stays fit and well, and I think he will, he’s an important player for us.”

Ancelotti will also blood £18million Russian recruit Yuri Zhirkov for the first time and, after the Russian made a big impression on Chelsea’s pre-season tour to the USA, it is another boost

Wilkins added: “Yuri has been desperate to show what he can do. It’s been frustrating for him with the knee problem but it’s onwards and upwards now. He’s an extremely intelligent young lad, and a great footballer.”

Ancelotti will rest Petr Cech, Jose Bosingwa, Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack and Nicolas Anelka, with possible starts for youngsters Sam Hutchinson and Italian striker Fabio Borini, while it was confirmed Didier Drogba was only suffering from cramp in his calf when he was carried off against Spurs.