Rafael Benitez hits back at Ray Wilkins for comments over Ashley Cole

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has brushed off criticism from former Blues coach Ray Wilkins regarding the treatment of full-back Ashley Cole.

The Sky Sports pundit accused the ex-Liverpool boss of being partly to blame for Cole's hamstring injury, which he picked up during Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester United in their FA Cup quarter-final replay on Monday.

Wilkins believes that if Benitez hadn't rested the England international for the Blues' Premier League defeat to Southampton on Saturday, Cole would not have been at a high risk of injury.

"I thought it was April 1," the Daily Star quotes Benitez as saying. "You can't take comments like that seriously. I have a degree in sports science.

"I have spoken to many people about injuries. This is the first time I ever heard anything like this."

Chelsea will play their third game in six days when they take on Rubin Kazan in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final tonight.