Terry to hold on to England captaincy during probe

John Terry will remain England captain for next month’s friendly double-header with Spain and Sweden if the investigation into his alleged racist slur against Anton Ferdinand has not concluded.

The Football Association have no plans to suspend Terry as skipper pending the outcome of their inquiry, with the game’s governing body adopting an “innocent until proven guilty”policy.

There is still no guarantee the Chelsea captain will lead his country out in either game at Wembley, with manager Fabio Capello planning to blood several of his fringe players during the back-to-back matches on 12 and 15 November.

On Tuesday night the FA launched an inquiry into allegations Terry racially abused Ferdinand during Chelsea’s west London derby defeat at QPR on Sunday.

Terry responded by vowing to clear his name after categorically denying the claims, which are also being assessed by Metropolitan Police following an anonymous complaint.

Being found guilty after either the FA or police probe could have a ruinous effect on Terry’s future in the game. The 30-year-old has endured a difficult time over the last 12 months, with allegations that he slept with the ex-girlfriend of former team-mate Wayne Bridge costing him the England captaincy.

The Londoner regained the skipper’s armband in March, however Capello could be forced to rescind it again – and even stop picking Terry altogether – if the defender is found guilty of racially abusing a fellow player.

He and Ferdinand both look likely to be quizzed by the FA during their inquiry, while a key witness could be Terry’s Chelsea and England team-mate Ashley Cole.

The video footage which sparked the current storm shows Cole walking past Terry as he utters the words which some have interpreted as a racist slur.