Tarnished John Terry's fate to be decided ahead of next England friendly

Published on Sunday 31 January 2010 21:32

ENGLAND manager Fabio Capello is expected to make a decision on John Terry's captaincy well ahead of the side's next match.

Capello will give his verdict on the 29-year-old Chelsea defender ahead of the friendly against Egypt at Wembley on 3 March.

In the meantime, the Football Association will refrain from commenting on the Terry affair, despite growing pressure on the England captain following more allegations about his private life. The FA is happy for Capello to have the final say on Terry's suitability as captain.

Former England captain Alan Shearer described Terry as a "fantastic leader". He said: "We do not know all the facts, so it would be wrong to suggest anything. What I do know is that John Terry is a fantastic leader and a very good footballer."

Terry scored the winning goal for Chelsea on Saturday, but the defender remained stony-faced amid claims he had an affair with the ex-partner of his former team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Terry, who refused to comment on allegations he had cheated on wife Toni, did not smile as he was congratulated by team-mates after he headed Chelsea's second goal in a 2-1 win at Burnley.

The pressure on him was exacerbated yesterday by extensive coverage about his alleged relationship with Vanessa Perroncel.

Bridge, 29, who has separated from Perroncel and now plays for Manchester City, said in a statement that he did not intend to comment on the reports for the sake of the couple's son. Perroncel is considering her next move after signing up Max Clifford. The publicist said he had spoken to Ms Perroncel and she was "upset and desperate to know where all this stuff is coming from".

The Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, revealed some of his players had worn shirts bearing the words "Team Bridge" in support of their team-mate during yesterday's Premier League win over Portsmouth.

Bridge is still missing with a knee injury, but the City stars felt it was important to show their backing for the England full-back.

"The players are very close to Wayne," the City boss said. "He is a fantastic player and a good guy. It was a nice gesture."

Carlos Tevez, Nigel de Jong and Stephen Ireland were said to have worn the shirts supporting Bridge. Gareth Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips did not wear them.

>BULLETS<Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen are being sued for 4 million, their spokesman confirmed last night. The couple face legal action by management company the James Grant Group (JGG) for loss of earnings.

England and Manchester United striker Rooney split from JGG when his agent, Paul Stretford, left the company and took his two star clients with him in 2008.

JGG owns Proactive Sports Management, the company founded by Mr Stretford, which previously represented the young stars. The lawsuit will see Rooney and his wife give evidence in court.

Last night, a spokesman for the couple said they "regard the defence of these claims as a matter of principle".

The hearing is due to begin today at Manchester Mercantile Court.