Cole Angry At Grant's Armband Decision

Ashley Cole was extremely unhappy with boss Avram Grant during Saturday's 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup.

The defender was handed the captain's armband by the Chelsea manager before the game, only to have it taken off him on the hour - without being substituted.

As Grant sent on Didier Drogba, he told Cole to hand over the captain's responsibilities to the Ivorian striker.

The bemused England international did so, but wondered what he'd done wrong because Drogba himself had never before been appointed on-field captain of Chelsea either.

Asked about the controversy, Blues boss Grant revealed that he took the decision to make the team more stable. “Drogba is a leader," said the Israeli in no uncertain terms.

“Many players who are leaders here did not play against QPR, so we gave it to Ashley. I think he is a good example for all the others, always giving 100 per cent, always happy.

"I like Ashley, so he deserved to be captain. But there are other options for leaders in the team.”