Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is keeping private his views on Ashley Cole joining Arsenal players on their Christmas night out this week but he revealed on Friday the full-back would not face the Gunners on Monday.

Cole was photographed at the London venue where the Arsenal players were celebrating with a fancy dress party.

Eyebrows were raised but Mourinho said on Friday Cole had not broken any club rules.

“I have my opinion but I keep it for myself. It was a free day for them, so I’m not a father. I’m a manager.

“I can control what they do when they are with me. I cannot control what they do when they are not with me.

“The next morning we didn’t train. We only trained in the afternoon, so I have no right to make a comment.”

Cole’s position at Stamford Bridge has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the England international lost his starting position to Cesar Azpilicueta.

And after confirming Azpilicueta has recovered from an injury scare, Mourinho made it clear Cole will once again be watching from the sidelines.

“Unless… the game is Monday. Something can happen in between. Normally, I’ll play Azpilicueta at left-back.”

The London derby, first playing third, could determine who will top the Premier League over Christmas.

“It’s a big match, for sure. It’s a pity it’s not tomorrow because I’m ready and waiting to play the game.”

Mourinho once again voiced his frustration at his side’s failings after the shock of the midweek League Cup defeat at Sunderland.

“In every match we are dominant – we have official statistics which prove that clearly – and in the matches we lost we had even more possession than games we won.

“It’s not about the team being more ‘committed’, but people have to change their brains a little bit more in the sense that we need to be a team playing very important step, but to be a team that wins a lot of matches is a more difficult step.”