Cole has been described as one of England's brightest prospects for many years but hasn't quite been able to clinch a permanent starting place for the Three Lions.

He has been a regular in Sven's plans, though, and hopes to be included again when the England squad is announced on Sunday night for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Poland.

The midfielder, who missed the recent friendly against Ukraine through injury, has made a highly promising start to the season - playing a more attacking and roving role behind the strikers at Stamford Bridge.

He scored against Birmingham and was impressive in the midweek victory at Crystal Palace, twice going close to adding to his tally.

So now Eriksson believes the 22-year-old must try and become a regular starter at Chelsea in order to move his career on and add to his tally of 17 caps and two goals for England.

He said: "I think it's important for him at club level to find a role. I should be very happy to see him play in the same position for a number of games, which he almost never did except at West Ham.

"That's the most important thing because it's difficult for me if he's not starting.

"What position would I like him to have? Well, to the left if I talk selfishly! But it really doesn't matter for me. I hope he will find a place in the team but that's up to Jose Mourinho and him to sort out."

There have been suggestions from some quarters that Cole hasn't achieved his full potential in recent years, despite possessing bundles of skill and ability. But Eriksson refuses to criticise a player whom he always rated extremely highly.

He said: "I think it's normal that if you don't play regularly you don't progress so quickly. In this country we have been talking about Joe Cole for four or five years, I heard it before I arrived that he was one of the biggest talents. But if you dont play regularly you lose confidence in yourself and things like that.

"It's the same with all football players - if they don't play regularly they are not happy. Their confidence goes away and they know that when they come on they have to show everything. It's difficult because it's a big pressure on them."

That's not to say Cole made the wrong decision in leaving boyhood club West Ham United to join the big time at Chelsea.

"No, no," said Eriksson. " If I had the ability of many of the young players in this country and one big club came after me I should take that chance. As an athlete you would not sleep for the next years if you don't take the chance when it comes. It's like me coming to England. You have to take that chance, you can't say no. I would regret that always if I hadn't taken it."

Whether Cole is part of England's World Cup campaign that starts on Saturday 4 September in Vienna remains to be seen. But what is certain is that there will be few surprises when Sven names his squad for the two opening qualifiers.

"There will not be any revolution, it will be almost the same," he said. "The only one I think could be available that wasn't available against Ukraine is Joe Cole. I don't think Sol Campbell will be ready, Ferdinand obviously not, Woodgate from what I have heard is injured for three or four weeks more. But I will pick the squad on Sunday night after I have watched the games at the weekend."

England's qualifying group also includes home nations Wales and Northern Ireland as well as Azerbaijan, so the battle to reach Germany in 2006 is certain to be a tough one - no matter what some pundits are predicting.

"I don't think it's easy, it's never easy," said Eriksson. "I don't remember that we had any easy qualification games. Germany maybe! It became easy because we won 5-1. But we played against Albania and then against Greece and suffered. We didn't lose but it was a very tough game. It will be the same this time. Wales for instance, that's like a derby and a derby can never be easy.

"People are saying we could be qualified by Christmas but of course it's dangerous thinking. You have to go out there for 90 minutess and do the job. They will not give you anything for free. Maybe they had easy games 15 or 20 years ago but today absolutely not."