Everton's Leighton Baines winning the race ahead of Chelsea's Ashley Cole to be England's best left-back Could it therefore be that, also for the first time in a decade, Cole's automatic selection for England is under threat? On form Baines would appear to have the edge but it's difficult to ignore Cole's experience - he made his international debut in 2001 - and the 93 caps he has earned for his country going into the Euro 2012 finals. Cole is just 31 but it nevertheless appears his career could be at a crossroads. He has been troubled by chronic injury problems, having to manage a sore ankle for some time, and it was interesting that Chelsea pursued Porto left-back Alvaro Pereira last summer. Certainly, they needed cover for Cole, who they have been over-reliant on, and Pereira can also play at left-midfield. But the Uruguayan is more comfortable as a full-back. In the end, despite bidding an astonishing €22 million for Pereira, which suggested he wasn't going to be a utility acquisition, Chelsea failed to sign him. It was reported that Cole himself signed a four-year deal at Chelsea in 2009 - which means he has a contract that runs until the end of next season. That would mean talks on a new deal should take place soon. This is in some dispute with sources close to the player suggesting that he does, in fact, have two more years to go. Nevertheless, crucially his name has been mentioned by senior sources close to Chelsea as one of the players whose future is in some doubt when the expected squad clear out gets under way. Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou, Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira are all expected to go, while Frank Lampard's time at the club may well have ended had Andre Villas-Boas remained as manager. Even now there is no certainty he will carry on. So, for the first time in his career, Cole also has a question mark over whether he is still wanted. With so many expected to leave, and with Cole still first choice, it would appear highly unlikely he will go. It's understood that, despite his problems at the club over the year, not least last year's airgun incident, he wants to stay. But it may not be as simple as that. VIillas-Boas considering his options Chelsea's former manager, Andre Villas-Boas, was in Spain last weekend, catching up with friends and also taking in some games. Villas-Boas was spotted at the Barcelona B match against Alcoyano at the Mini Estadi where his presence caused quite a stir. Villas-Boas is a big fan of Barca's football and the club's set-up and he, of course, signed Oriol Romeu from the B team for Chelsea and also tried to foster links with the Catalans through his friendship with Pep Guardiola. With Claudio Ranieri's sacking at Inter Milan this week, and given the fact that Inter attempted to hire Villas-Boas before he joined Chelsea, it has been suggested the Portuguese might next surface in Serie A. But the chances are that next season Villas-Boas is far more likely to move back to Portugal - maybe returning to Porto - or Spain. There is another, very strong, reason why Villas-Boas will be reluctant to go to Inter. Having moved from Porto to Chelsea he would not want to then continue to follow the career path of his former mentor, Jose Mourinho, who is revelling in Villas-Boas's demise at Stamford Bridge. Question marks over Barton's future Following last weekend's loss to Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers slipped back into the Premier League's bottom three and on Saturday play Arsenal at home. Manager Mark Hughes will face the media on Friday and will be questioned about his decision to drop captain Joey Barton for last Saturday's match. Barton's form - and the constant distraction he appears to find on the social network site Twitter (although he's now in a self-imposed sabbatical having refused club requests to quit tweeting) have been a cause for concern all season. As has the midfielder's wages. There have been suggestions that none of the flurry of big-name signings made last August and in January had relegation clauses inserted into the contract. This would mean that big earners such as Barton - he is on £80,000 a week including bonuses - will stay on Premier League wages even if the club are in the Championship. Not true, according to QPR sources, who insist that the deals are structured, as you would expect from a newly-promoted club, although chief executive Phil Beard raised a few eyebrows on Thursday by suggesting that most of the signings will stay even if the club are demoted. The problem for QPR with Barton, though, is clear. Even if they tried to sell him would there be any takers? Reading ready for the big time Should Reading go up this season, the word is that they will not be joining the top flight to make up the numbers. The club are second in the Championship and, on Saturday, face a crunch match away to third-placed West Ham. If they avoid defeat Reading will be favourites for that second automatic promotion slot with Anton Zingarevich expected to sanction a major spending spree in the summer. The Russian is poised to take over majority control of Reading from Sir John Madejski, in a mooted £25 million deal, and football agents are already being notified that the club are planning to spend big with Zingarevich prepared to make funds available. It is understood a list of ambitious targets is already being drawn up, and others sourced, by Reading and it will be acted upon should promotion be gained.