• Premier League

Terry in contention for weekend return

ESPN staff
January 8, 2013
John Terry has been struggling with a knee injury © Getty Images
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Chelsea captain John Terry is closing in on a return to first team action but will not play in the Capital One Cup semi-final first leg clash against Swansea.

Blues boss Rafa Benitez confirmed that the defender is back in training and will feature in Chelsea's development squad match against Fulham on Thursday night, his first game since suffering a knee injury in a collision with Luis Suarez in November 2012.

And Benitez hinted that Terry could make a return in the Premier League by the weekend, depending on his recovery from Thursday's game.

"The good thing is he's now training and if he can carry on," Benitez said. "We'll see how he feels on Thursday. Hopefully he can play more minutes in the short term, but we will see.

"But this is a positive thing at least. Before he was just able to warm up, and now I see him training and he can play, so obviously we are getting closer."

Terry had been expected to miss three weeks of action, but has now been missing from the Chelsea line-up for two months.

In his absence Chelsea have won just four Premier League matches. They are currently fourth in the Premier League, a point behind Tottenham with a game in hand.

"It depends on his reaction," Benitez added when asked whether or not Terry could feature against Stoke on Saturday. "Obviously Thursday will be a different kind of game, but we will see how he feels. If he is okay and can train the day after, at least we can start considering him as an option."

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