Chelsea consider giving Terry time out to prepare for court case

Chelsea and England defender John Terry denies racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, and should a magistrates trial take place during the season, Blues boss Villas-Boas will consider allowing Terry to take time off.

Terry has faced jeers and taunts since then, never more so than during his return to Rangers in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie, four days before his court case was due to begin at Westminster Magistrates Court.

"Eventually, if it is important for the justice, we will do it."

But Villas-Boas insisted he would continue to play his captain as long as he continues to play as impressively as during Chelsea's 1-0 win.

"You have seen with the off-field events, we haven't stopped using John, and his level of performance has not been affected," he said.

"If that continues to be the case, we will continue to do it."

Villas-Boas added: "He is a player that has been through various situations, situations of stress and great, difficult atmospheres.

"Bearing in mind the events that have happened in the past, he showed that this was just another game for him and he was just interested in football. He had an extremely good performance."

 

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