Ashley Cole: 'No Regrets' Over Chelsea Departure to Roma Ahead of Frank Lampard Reunion

Roma full-back Ashley Cole maintains former club Chelsea made the right decision in letting him and ex-teammate Frank Lampard leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Lampard and Cole played integral roles in the Blues' success over the last decade but were not offered new contracts at the end of last season and left after 13 and eight years in west London respectively.

The two will be reunited on Tuesday 30 September, but on opposing sides, when Premier League champions Manchester City host Rudi Garcia's Roma in their Champions League group clash.

Both players have enjoyed fine starts to their post-Chelsea careers, with Lampard scoring four goals in four games for Manuel Pellegrini's side on his loan spell from New York City while Cole is beginning to adjust to life in Serie A.

And while his focus will be on ensuring Roma can qualify for the knockout stages for the Champions League for the first time in five years, Cole is looking forward to the reunion.

"Everyone knows what Lampard brings to any team – he's a great, experienced player who scores goals," Cole told a press conference. "He even scored against Chelsea - they probably didn't like that and [it was] probably a little disappointing for him to score as well.

"But he is a professional and he has to do a job and that is scoring goals.

"I don't think Chelsea were wrong [to let us go] - a decision was made. I'm fine with it. I had eight great years there and I am really enjoying a new challenge. I'm loving Italy."

Roma marked their return to the Champions League with an impressive 5-1 victory over CSKA Moscow in their opening game, a result that lifted them top of their group ahead of City and Bayern Munich.

Victory for the Serie A giants would once again leave City's hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages hanging by a thread.

Cole added: "If we win it will make it more difficult for them to catch up and will probably make us top of the group and in good stead for us qualifying – but it is going to be a tough game and we don't want to look too far ahead."