Chelsea says leftback Ashley Cole will have surgery on fractured ankle

Chelsea’s Cole to have surgery on broken ankle

LONDON — England defender Ashley Cole will have surgery to repair a broken left ankle and will be out of action for three months.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said Cole will have the surgery on Friday. The leftback was injured after a challenge by Everton’s Landon Donovan in a Premier League game on Wednesday.

Donovan is on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Cole is expected to miss nearly the rest of the season. But he should recover in time for the World Cup in South Africa, which kicks off on June 11.