Cole cops Twitter-rage fine

Cole admitted bringing the game into disrepute when he reacted angrily last week to a FA commission questioning the evidence he gave in defending teammate John Terry against a charge of racially abusing an opponent.

However, the Chelsea left-back escaped a playing ban from England for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against San Marino on Friday (Saturday AEDT) and Poland on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).

Cole has requested a non-personal hearing at a date to be set.

He has already issued an apology through his lawyers and deleted the tweet, which read: "Hahahahaa, well done (hash)fa I lied did I," followed by a vulgar expression.

Chelsea is also set to fine Cole, with manager Roberto Di Matteo saying the club has launched disciplinary action over the tweet.

Cole is currently on national-team duty with England. If he plays in both qualifiers, he will become the sixth player to make 100 appearances for England.

He backed up Terry's defense that a racial slur toward Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League match in October last year was only used to counter an accusation of racism Terry claimed Ferdinand was levelling at him.

Cole told Terry's criminal trial in July that he believed he heard Ferdinand use the word "black" during the confrontation - something the QPR player denied saying.

Terry was cleared of the criminal charges but found guilty by the FA commission.