Cole and Terry will miss England's trip to BelarusEngland will be without John Terry and Ashley Cole for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Belarus.
The England captain has failed to recover from a back injury, while his Chelsea team-mate Cole has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Terry also missed England's 5-1 win over Kazakhstan at Wembley on Saturday.
"It's disappointing to lose two very experienced players in John Terry and Ashley Cole for the game in Belarus," said England manager Fabio Capello.
"Unfortunately they have no chance of playing, so it is best they return to Chelsea."
Rio Ferdinand stood in as captain in a match that saw Cole targeted by home fans after a mistake that led to the visitors' goal.
Cole strained his right hamstring in that victory and a scan on Sunday revealed he will not be fit enough for the match against Belarus.
Terry resumed running and some light gym work on Sunday but did not train on Monday and will not join the rest of the squad as they fly out to Minsk on Tuesday morning.
Capello now needs to decide whether Matthew Upson, after a less-than-convincing outing on Saturday, will remain alongside Ferdinand at the heart of England's defence, while Cole is likely to be replaced by Wayne Bridge at left-back.
Bridge's last competitive appearance for England was the 3-2 home defeat to Croatia last November that denied Steve McLaren's side a place at Euro 2008, while Cole is Chelsea's preferred left-back, ahead of the former Southampton man.
Joleon Lescott is another option for Capello, with the Everton defender capable of filling in at either centre-back on or the left.
The England manager will also consider whether to employ Gareth Barry in a holding midfield role after a disjointed first-half team display against Kazakhstan at Wembley.
Barry was replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips after a goalless first period, with England reverting to a 4-4-2 formation, and the change seemed to work as they looked much more dangerous after the break, but it did leave them more vulnerable to the counter-attack.
"I have time to decide whether to play a holding midfielder in Belarus," said Capello.
Victory in Belarus would create history for England by opening a World Cup campaign with four straight wins, but Capello has warned his team against complacency and expects a tough test.
"They are not conservative at all," he said.
"They move all over, like Arsenal, and pass the ball a lot. Belarus are a very dangerous side and this game will not be easy."
