• Premier League

Terry will face Arsenal - Villas-Boas

ESPNsoccernet staff
October 28, 2011
Andre Villas-Boas has no fears about playing John Terry against Arsenal © Getty Images
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John Terry looks certain to lead out Chelsea in their London derby against Arsenal after Andre Villas-Boas insisted he had no concerns about his captain's state of mind.

Blues boss Villas-Boas reiterated his full backing for Terry amid the Football Association and police probes into whether the England skipper racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during their Premier League game at Loftus Road.

Terry, who has categorically denied the allegations made against him, will make his first public appearance since the race row erupted on Saturday, and Villas-Boas is adamant the 30-year-old is ready to do so.

"I see no reason why not,'' Villas-Boas said, insisting he had no fears about Terry playing. "Not in the sense of his state of mind, never."

Villas-Boas also denied the saga had been a distraction for his team as they look to close the six-point gap to Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

"I don't think, for us, it's been a distraction,'' said Villas-Boas, whose side beat Everton in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night without Terry after losing to QPR on Sunday. "We haven't lost too much focus on the situation because there is nothing to lose focus on.

"The selection [for Everton] was made on the fact he had four yellows. Lampard also had four yellows. With the quality we have we decided to sit them out, but he has been excellent in training, no problem."

Villas-Boas reiterated that the race row had all been "a big misunderstanding''. Asked if it had become a wider issue than Terry's word against Ferdinand's, he added: "I don't know what it's become. For me, it's the end of the matter and it's under FA investigation and hopefully we can put an end to it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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