Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole returned from his long-term knee injury to help defeat QPR and send the Barclays Premier League leaders into the fourth round of the Carling Cup.

The 27-year-old, named by manager Carlo Ancelotti as skipper for the evening, was playing in his first match since January and set up Salomon Kalou's winner at Stamford Bridge.

Ahead of the tie, the future of Flavio Briatore as QPR's owner has been uncertain following his role in Formula One's "crashgate" scandal - but Jim Magilton's men could not give him something to smile about despite putting the hosts under pressure at times.

It was Cole's evening after eight months out with ruptured cruciate knee ligaments, a problem he aggravated in July's pre-season tour of the United States.

The clock is ticking for Cole - he has to get back into Fabio Capello's England squad before the World Cup after watching competition increase while out injured.

Cole was playing in the hole and showing no signs of his injury affecting his approach. He matched Wayne Routledge for pace in the early stages and went shoulder to shoulder. Later in the first half he danced around Routledge and Akos Buzsaky before Martin Rowlands brought him down.

When Paulo Ferreira, also returning from a long-term knee problem, crossed from the right 10 minutes before the break, Cole was on the end of it but stabbed wide of Tom Heaton's goal.

That was a rare bright moment in a dull opening 45 minutes although Juliano Belletti, just before the whistle, smashed a 30-yard free-kick and Heaton tipped over the crossbar.

The other clear-cut chance of the first half dropped to Fabio Borini, one of Frank Arnesen's youngsters who was making his first start for the club.

With FIFA having imposed a transfer ban on Chelsea for two windows, this was meant to be the clash to show what youngsters sporting director Arnesen had unearthed for Ancelotti to utilise.

Instead, there was plenty of experience in the starting XI, with the only Arnesen player to feature being Borini, as centre-back Sam Hutchinson has been at the club since he was a child.

Borini headed over in the 10th minute from Yury Zhirkov's cross and goalkeeper Heaton, on loan from Manchester United, was forced to save powerful efforts from Florent Malouda and Kalou in the early stages.

The visitors had their moments as well, with Jay Simpson volleying over wildly and Buzsaky curling wide after an exciting run by Routledge.

They were holding their own, although boss Magilton was ranting and raving on the touchline, chucking his chewing gum onto the pitch at one point.

His mood did not get better at the break when Ancelotti brought on Frank Lampard for Malouda. The Frenchman was the only survivor from Sunday's win over Tottenham but there was still the likes of John Obi Mikel and Branislav Ivanovic in the side.

After the interval, Rowan Vine's ball over the top almost embarrassed the hosts, with Henrique Hilario forced into a rushed clearance as Routledge chased him down.

But the visitors were ahead in the 52nd minute after Cole spun on the ball and slipped it through to Kalou. The Ivory Coast forward cut inside Mikele Leigertwood from the left and his crisp finish went in off the post.

Borini could have added a second goal when Lampard sent him through but the Italian youngster was forced slightly wide and Heaton saved his finish.

QPR were still in the tie and Buzsaky forced Hilario into a save when his awkward shot from 30 yards bounced just in front of the veteran goalkeeper.

John Terry and Ashley Cole were brought on to see out the victory. Belletti almost created another goal when he skipped around Kaspars Gorkss and Gary Borrowdale before almost forcing Damion Stewart into an own goal. Midfielder Cole also had a late effort from close range blocked by Heaton.

Teams:

Chelsea Hilario, Ivanovic, Paulo Ferreira,Hutchinson (Terry 77), Belletti, Malouda (Lampard 46),Zhirkov (Ashley Cole 69), Mikel, Joe Cole, Borini, Kalou.

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Essien, Matic, Bruma.

Goals: Kalou 52.

QPR Heaton, Borrowdale, Stewart, Leigertwood, Gorkss,Routledge, Rowlands (Ephraim 73), Faurlin, Buzsaky,Vine (Taarabt 66), Simpson (Pellicori 73).

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Ramage, Mahon, Agyemang.

Att: 37,781

Ref: Mike Jones (Cheshire).