John Terry could be back by Christmas

Chelsea captain John Terry last night found out he could be back from injury before Christmas.

Terry feared his season was over after being carried off in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Liverpool with what looked a serious knee injury.

But MRI scans yesterday revealed that although the ligaments in his right knee had been damaged, they were not as bad as initially feared.

A club statement said: “Today’s MRI scans on John Terry’s right knee thankfully show no significant damage to the cruciate ligaments.

“Chelsea Football Club’s medical team will conduct further tests over the next two or three days once the swelling has subsided to determine how long John will be out, but it will be a matter of weeks not months.”

Any absence will still be a huge blow for the Blues, with Terry having suffered the injury in his first game back after his domestic four-match racism ban.

The club had struggled badly in defence in his absence, slipping from first to third in the table.

He will almost certainly miss their potentially decisive Champions League Group E game at Juventus, as well as crucial league matches against West Brom and Manchester City.

He could even be a doubt for their Club World Cup trip to Japan early next month.

Yet keeper Petr Cech insists Chelsea can cope without their inspirational captain.

Rather than mourn Terry’s loss, Cech says now is the time for his stand-ins to step up and shine.

Keeper Cech said: “It was great to have him back but he got injured. I hope it wont be too long.

“We managed to play games without him last season and this season we have players who will have the chance to impress the manager and do well. It’s always important to have people to step up and fill the gap.

“We have a large squad and quality defenders, so this is a chance for the others to shine. I hope we are going to deal with his loss.”

Cech believes the Blues remain one of the contenders in a threehorse title race with Manchester rivals United and City, but said: “It’s not a huge problem as we are still at the start of the season.

“But any advantage you give to Manchester City or United is something they can use in the future.

“That is something you don’t want to give your opponents, even if it is one point, because every point matters in the end. And we know from previous experiences even goal difference can be decisive.”

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Source: DailyStar