Injury-hit Chelsea to appeal over Cole dismissal

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea are to appeal against Ashley Cole's red card after the defender was sent off in the last minute of his side's 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Cole was dismissed for handball after stopping Gabriel Agbonlahor's header. Gareth Barry converted the penalty to give Villa the draw and cost Chelsea points in the Premier League title race.

"I saw it again on the television and it was not a penalty but I cannot change it," Chelsea coach Avram Grant said.

Defender Ricardo Carvalho was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Agbonlahor 10 minutes earlier and both he and Cole face suspension.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill had no doubts about the penalty. "Cole has handled the ball and I think it is clear and the linesman has spotted it," he said.

With injuries to John Terry, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda and stand-in captain Frank Lampard limping off with a thigh injury, Chelsea's squad is stretched to the limit. They have Premier League fixtures against Newcastle United and Fulham over the next six days.

Holding midfielder Claude Makelele is also out of action for a "few weeks", the club said, after having an ear operation. Second choice goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is another player on the treatment table.

"It is not easy times but since the first day I was here it has not been easy with all the injured players," Grant said.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Lovell)