The sponsors of Chelsea captain John Terry are sweating on England boss Fabio Capello's decision over the defender's captaincy.

The Guardian says sports sponsorship experts said today that recent revelations about his private life would hit Terry's future earnings, and brands associated with the Chelsea defender would want to see how the coach's decision played out in the media, and whether there were any other revelations to come, before making a decision.

Branding experts expect Nationwide and Samsung, the Korean electronics firm that recently extended its Chelsea sponsorship until 2013, to quietly drop Terry's image from campaigns while they gauge public opinion.

Jonathan Neill, sponsorship PR director at Synergy, said: "Despite John ­Terry's past indiscretions, in recent years he has moulded his image on being a family man and the allegations have certainly ­damaged this reputation. The revelations will almost certainly affect his role as England captain, a position that requires a completely clean image.

"At the moment, his sponsors will be monitoring the press closely, waiting to see whether public opinion will soften towards him. Having invested so much in Terry, with the World Cup fast approaching, his sponsors will be reluctant to ­withdraw at this point."