Last Updated: Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:47
New Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez has admitted Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard are likely to leave the club at the end of the season.
Benitez is preparing to take charge of his first game as boss of the European champions when Chelsea host Manchester City on Sunday and his interim appointment has not received the best of receptions from the club's fans.
They may well be aggravated further after the former Liverpool coach revealed both Cole and Lampard are set for summer exits.
When asked about the influential duo's futures, Benitez said: "I think so, that is the case at the moment. I am only here for seven months. If it is for two or three years then maybe I would have an influence.
Lampard has made over 570 appearances for Chelsea since he joined the club from West Ham United in 2001 and has been linked with moves to the MLS and China so his potential exit may not surprise too many fans.
Cole's possible departure would be more controversial, however, although he has been linked with a switch to big-spending Paris Saint-Germain or Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid at the end of the season.
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