McClaren has big plans for Cole

England coach Steve McClaren has insisted Joe Cole remains an integral part of his plans for the future.

Cole has struggled to win a regular place in the Chelsea starting line-up this season and speculation surfaced in the aftermath of his substitution against Germany last month that the 26-year-old feared McClaren was not a fan.

"Joe is very valuable to England," said McClaren. "He hardly played for us last season and we missed him. He showed how important he was to us in the summer when he came back against Estonia and scored."

He added: "I have made a point to him about his performances and he know what he has to do."

With Cole on the left and either Shaun Wright-Phillips or potential debutant David Bentley filling the void created by David Beckham's absence, McClaren has a genuine threat on both flanks.

However, in Frank Lampard's absence, it seems imperative Steven Gerrard is involved, despite being still a little way from a full recovery after breaking his toe against Toulouse last month.

Gerrard has assured McClaren he will be available for the Israel encounter, plus the equally important clash with Russia the following Wednesday.

The certainty with which Gerrard made his declaration has led to speculation the midfielder would be prepared to have the kind of painkilling injection which allowed him to get through Liverpool's Premier League encounter with Chelsea at Anfield last month.

There is some doubt as to whether England's medical staff could carry out such a move, even with the player's permission, without Liverpool's approval.