Top5 - Number 1: Leighton Baines (Everton)

Often described as the perfect replacement for Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines has performed at an outstanding level at the top of the English game for years now and many see it as the right time for him to leave Everton for a top 2 club and show Europe what he can do in the Champions League.

Much like Cole, Baines is more than happy to go on a lung-bursting run up the flank and combine with his attacking colleagues to puncture the opposition. Baines possesses an almight sprint-speed and is always searching for gaps behind players to surge in to, and parnered with the correct player - this seasons it has been Steven Pienaar - he has to be considered one of the top left-backs in Europe.

Born in Liverpool Baines joined the Reds as a kid, but when Wigan came sniffing the lure of first team football was too good to turn down. After 162 games and 4 goals, Everton had a £6m offer accepted for the England U21 player.

He was forced to try and squeeze out Joleon Lescott who was used at Left-back because of the partnership between Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka, however he has gone on to make the position his own and has even captained the side on occasions. Baines played every minute of the Toffees' 2010/11season and at the time of writing this he has 226 games under his Everton belt, earning him a spot in the England senior side.

The 28-year-old is certainly favourite to replace Cole should he be on his way, and there can be no question that Baines is more than a suitable match.

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Top5 - Number 2: Aly Cissokho (Valencia)

If Chelsea are after a strong, rapid full-back who can beat a player but also deploy their body as a shield when on the back-foot, then Aly Cissokho fits the bill. Although he only joined Spanish side Valencia last summer, if a large transfer fee was offered to take him from their books then they may not be in a position to reject it.

Cissokho is a 25-year-old France international who boasts a shed-load of experience in European football, with appearances for Gueugnon, Vitoria Setubal, Porto and 134 games for Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, Chelsea should have no qualms whether or not the cultured full-back could pit his wits amongst the best in the Premier League.

Cissokho is another who likes the ball on the floor, but is more than happy to out-leap anyone who tries to get the better over him in the air, and despite having a narrow frame on first glance he is not someone who you would like to go up against in a one on one battle.

Some of the first glimpses we were able to see on the defender came in the Champions League quarter-finals against Manchester United in 2009, and his sterling effort to contain Cristiano Ronaldo  ensured his name was on everybody's lips.

Could he be in a Chelsea shirt next season?

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Top5 - Number 3: Alvaro Pereira (Inter)

Now a name you will sure to have heard of - Alvaro Pereira. The Inter man is possibly the perfect fit for the Ashley Cole-shaped hole that will be gaping if Chelsea's fears come true. The Uruguay international is accustomed to either left-back or left-wing is a major factor to whether or not a team plays well. You may think that it is an overstatement to suggest that on occasions the Inter team's heartbeat is on the left wing, but he is that type of player.

His positioning is second-to-none and gives him the freedom to exploit the gaps behind opponent's backline and drill delicious crosses to his strikers.

He is currently in his first season with Inter but he has never been one to stick around at a club. His 72 appearances with Porto eclipse the amount of played games for any other club he has been at, and even that was split over just 3 years.

With 44 caps for his country - Uruguay - you can forgive Chelsea fans desperately wanting to get him over to the capital in time for next season.

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Top5 - Number 4: Ricardo Rodríguez (Wolfsburg)

If there is a nation who has a implemented a youth set up in football to produce the best youngsters, it is Germany, and although this candidate to replace Cole does not originate from Deutschland, he has been poached from neighbours Switzerland and injected into the Wolfsburg roster.

A swiss full-back who is as fast-footed as they come, Ricardo Rodriguez has become an ever-present in the Wolfsburg first team since his switch from the club who gave him his chance in professional football - FC Zurich. He made 36 league appearances for the Swiss side and earned him a glowing review from his manager, ultimately leading him to being called up by his national side Switzerland and attracting interest from almost every European giant.

It was Wolfsburg that he chose and after his impressive displays in the current Bundesliga season it appears that the speculation has started again. It is thought that Rodriguez is valued at about £5m by his current club, pocket-money for Roman Abramovic, and could be drafted in during the summer transfer window. It is thought that the 20-year-old, along with Ryan Bertrand, are seen as the long-term future of Chelsea's left-back berth.

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Top5 - Number 5: Domenico Criscito (Zenit)

Possibly a long-shot considering he is 26-years-old and only 1 year into his 5-year deal at Russian money-bags Zenit St Petersburg, but his talent is definitely clear for all to see. He is a more robust player than Ashley Cole and loves to lunge into challenges to strip oncoming opponents of possession, but he is all too happy to drive forward and chip in with the goals when needed.

Criscito was involved with the Genoa youth academy when Juventus bought 50% of his contract in a co-ownership deal and after 153 games in a Genoa shirt, and 8 for the Juventus first team, he was snapped up by Zenit and given a sense of security with a 5-year deal after a reported €15m transfer fee was agreed by all parties. He also had the experience in an international stage with 20 appearances in the Italy senior side and his name has finally started to come to light because of the talent he has.

He can also be used at centre-back if needed and can cover at left-midfield, something which could be hugely beneficial if he were to join the Blues and link up with Ryan Bertrand.

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Top5 - Number 1: Didier Drogba (Cote d'Ivoire)

What is there to say about Didier Drogba? Probably one of the most accomplished centre forwards of his generation, captain and all-time top goal scorer for Ivory Coast, Chelsea's greatest ever player as voted for by the fans and also the man who scored the penalty to earn the Blues that all elusive Champions League trophy they were after. The man, no question about it, is a hero throughout the footballing world.

His strength, his prowess in the air and his ability to produce a stunning goal out of nowhere has rightly put Drogba in the top bracket of players in his position, and a recent transfer to Shanghai Shenhua as well as being almost 35-years-old, he has had the whole of Europe after his signature.

Although he failed to sign a professional deal until he was 21-years-old, Drogba gradually grew into one of the most exciting prospects in the French League until injuries threatened to ruin his career. He had stints with Le Mans, Guingamp and Marseille before switch to Chelsea for £24m after scoring 30 goals in his final season at Stade Velodrome.

Goals have followed the big man wherever he has been in his career, but it was the 100 he scored for the Blues that really entrenched him into the record books and into every single Chelsea fan's heart and the ACON is a window of opportunity for his fans to witness his extraordinary talents once again.

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Top5 - Number 2: Yaya Toure (Cote d'Ivoire)

The talent of Yaya Toure has rose to prominence over the last 5 years and he continues to expand is incredible reputation. He started his professional career by floating around Europe and trying to find a secure club to call home, so when he had a trial at Arsenal at 20-years-old you would have thought that he would have grabbed it with both hands, however in a game against Barnet his performance was described as 'completely average' by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

After spells in Ukraine, France and Greece Toure hit the big time with a €10m move to Spanish giants Barcelona and mustered a respectable 117 appearances for Blaugrana. However, the introduction of Pep Guardiola saw chances grow limited for the big Ivorian and he was told he could leave the club after 3 years at Camp Nou, and he jumped at the chance to join Manchester City. Since his switch he has blossomed into one of the greatest central midfielders in today's game and was the linchpin in City's first league win in 44 years.

The strength of Toure is incredible, and paired with his creativity it makes him a massive problem to any opposing teams. He seems impossible to stop when he goes on one of his driving runs, and his powerful shot has earned him the reputation of one of the most effective goal-scoring midfielders in the league. He can be deployed in a deep, anchor-man role for City, but is often pushed higher up the pitch because of his ability to rip defences apart with a pass.

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Top5 - Number 3: Jacob Mulenga (Zambia)

Mulenga is currently bagging goals in the Netherlands on the books of FC Utrecht but is rumoured to be on the verge of a switch to the Premier League. The 28-year-old is a big, physical striker who leads the line of his club and country and has certainly proved that he knows where the back of the net is. He played over 100 games for French outfit Chateauroux during his 5 year spell at the club before moving to Holland and continuing his fine form, 25 goals in 65 games in all competitions including 7 in 11 last term, and do not be surprised if he goes for the jugular in this year's competition to really push for that big-money move while he still has the chance.

In the 31 games that he has played for Zambia he has netted on 6 occasions and he will no doubt be a key impact on whether or not his country retain the trophy that they won in last year's tournament, although Mulenga was not able to play a part because of injury.

If a move to the Premier League does materialise then he will be joining his countryman Emmanuel Mayuka, who joined Southampton in August 2012 for an undisclosed fee.

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Top5 - Number 4: Ikechukwu Uche (Nigeria)

Having arrived in Spain aged just 20, he joined the ranks of Racing Ferrol before switching to fellow Spanish second division side Recreativo de Huelva, and he quickly earned himself the title of the league's top scorer with 20 goals in his first 28 games.

The nippy Nigerian then jumped ship to Getafe after almost 150 games and 50 goals for Recreativo, but after failing to properly etch himself into the first team he transferred to Real Zaragoza. However, the kryptonite to every professional sportsman, injury reared its ugly head and kept him out of action for almost a year, and despite originally signing a 4-year contract with the club he was to leave after just 2, when Villareal snapped him up on the last day of the summer transfer window - although they instantly loaned him to  Grenada.

Some argue that Uche's best days are now behind him, but at 29-years-old he will still have a point to prove and he will be giving his all to aid Nigeria to victory. He has 18 goals in 40 games for his country and is looking forward to increasing that total in the upcoming games.

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Top5 - Number 5: Adlene Guedioura (Algeria)

One of Algeria's main men in for the tournament is Adlene Guedioura of Nottingham Forest. The 27-year-old is a central player who drives from box-to-box and destroys anything that may wander into his path. He has one of the most ferocious strikes on him in the English Leagues and can puncture any opposing defence with one of his trademark lung-bursting runs through the middle. He holds the composure of a man fully confident in his own abilities and this often appears infectious to his teammates as they seem to give just that little bit more when Guedioura is on the field.

Born in France, Guedioura started his football career playing for a number of clubs in the nation and eventually Belgium, but it was in England where his name rose to fame. After a loan move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2010 his game seem to explode into life and it looked to be one of the shrewdest pieces of business done when he signed on a permanent deal for £2m at the end of the season.

He went on to become an important fixture in the Wolves midfield but an unfortunate injury kept him sidelined for a lengthy time. When he returned he was loaned out to Championship side Nottingham Forest and just as quickly as he became a hero at the Molineux he was to do the same at the City Ground. Forest eventually signed him in a £1m deal and he has continued to impress throughout the current season.

He has been playing for Algeria since 2010 and has gone onto make 18 appearances for them and is now their captain, and he also scored his first goal in a 1-1 draw against Tanzania in the Africa Cup of Nations qualify in 2012.

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