Terry eyes speedy return
Chelsea captain John Terry could return to training as soon as this morning after a scan showed he had not broken a bone in his right foot.
Fears the 29-year-old may have fractured a metatarsal - leading to worries he would miss Saturday's FA Cup final and be a major fitness doubt for the World Cup - were allayed by yesterday's scan, which revealed no major problem.
And Terry revealed he hopes to play at Wembley on Saturday as Chelsea aim to complete the first Premier League and FA Cup double in their history.
Terry said in a statement yesterday: "I took a slight knock in training but with such an important match on Saturday the right course of action was to put a protective boot on my right foot and have a CT scan.
"The scan has shown there is no break and I am hoping to train today if not Friday and of course play in the FA Cup final on Saturday."
The knock had been a cause for concern for both Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the final against Portsmouth and England manager Fabio Capello, who announced his provisional 30-man World Cup squad on Tuesday.
Terry, stripped of the England captaincy following allegations about his private life this season, was named in Capello's squad alongside fellow centre-halves Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, Michael Dawson, Ledley King and Matthew Upson.
There have been other pre-World Cup injury scares for England.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney limped out of Sunday's match against Stoke but, like Ferdinand and Terry, has since received a positive diagnosis on his injury.
Midfielder Gareth Barry is Capello's biggest ongoing injury concern while David Beckham was ruled out of the tournament earlier this season.
In hauling Carragher out of retirement and naming King in his provisional World Cup squad, even though the Tottenham skipper cannot train due to a chronic knee problem, Capello was already signalling he was not entirely happy with his central defensive options.
To lose Terry would have been a major blow for both Ancelotti and Capello.
Even if he is no longer captain, Capello still regards Terry as "a leader" and he will undoubtedly be in his side for the Group C opener against the United States in Rustenburg on June 12.
The club had stressed Terry had been "walking freely" after the incident.
Terry had partnered Brazilian Alex in central defence last Sunday as Carlo Ancelotti's side hammered Wigan 8-0 to win the Premier League for the first time in four years.
Now he will hope to lift the FA Cup on Saturday and take the trophy on Sunday's open top bus ride around west London.
