Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has been allowed to play in the World Cup qualifying and league matches after he apologized for his insulting tweet on the Football Association (FA) but it is still not sure if he will play for England in Friday's match against San Marino.

The 31-year-old defender almost faced ban by a few matches for his careless and insulting tweet calling the FA a "bunch of t***s". FA chairman David Bernstein has however said that they have decided not to suspend him following his sincere apology on Monday.

Ashley Cole is through with the first hurdle - clearance from the FA - but he has another one in the form of Everton defender Leighton Baines who is in great form this season. "I've been trying to keep my form up at club level between the two international breaks. Obviously I've done enough to get in the squad," Baines told The Sun.

However, former England captain Alan Shearer is of the opinion that Cole should help England beat San Marino with a huge margin in their World Cup qualifying campaign following the drawn match against Ukraine last month.

"He's been our best-ever left-back and it will be a shame if he's only remembered for the things he's done off the pitch rather than for all the things he's done on it. I'm pretty sure that Roy Hodgson will think Ashley is our best option and I think he'll play him on Friday because he can offer so much going forward against a team like San Marino," The Sun quoted Shearer as saying.

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