Terry training boost for Chelsea
Friday, December 29, 2006
Article summary
Chelsea FC and England captain John Terry has started light training a day after undergoing surgery on his injured back and may return sooner than expected.
Article body
Missing in action
The defender has missed four games, including the 2-2 home draw with Reading FC on Tuesday which allowed Manchester United FC to extend their lead over the champions to four points. The initial speculation was that he would be out for six more weeks after undergoing surgery in France.
'No restrictions'
However, club doctor Bryan English said: "We still need to monitor John and see how we go but 24-48 hours after surgery there are no restrictions to getting back. I won't be drawn into what game he will be back but I am sure it will lead people to draw their own conclusions."
'So-called experts'
English added: "I hear so-called experts say he is going to have a six-week recovery. I won't say exactly how long he is going to take to recover, but when people comment when they don't know his pathology I have a bit of a problem with that."
Crucial games
The 26-year-old will not only be ruled out of crucial league fixtures but could also be a doubt for Chelsea's UEFA Champions League last 16 first-leg meeting with FC Porto on 21 February. Terry's last appearance was on 13 December in a 1-0 victory against Newcastle United FC.
