Capello to meet Terry today

SOCCER: FABIO CAPELLO will today demand full disclosure from John Terry before deciding if he is the man to captain England at the World Cup finals in June.

The England manager flew into Heathrow yesterday and, amid continuing tabloid revelations about the private lives of Terry and his Chelsea team-mates, is believed to be determined to ensure he has all the facts before making a decision on whether the defender should remain as captain.

Capello is set to meet Terry today after Chelsea’s training session and ask him to declare any other skeletons in his closet. It will be the first time the pair have met since Terry’s position as captain became a national talking point in the wake of an injunction preventing the reporting of his alleged affair with Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.

Bridge is expected to return to the Manchester City side after two months out with a knee injury to face Hull City tomorrow, despite his manager, Roberto Mancini revealing it was “not a good moment in his head”, while Terry has a crucial match against Arsenal on Sunday.

While Capello has been in Switzerland recuperating from knee surgery, coincidentally buying himself and the English Football Association some time, his right-hand man, Franco Baldini, has this week spoken to both players, and their managers, plus other members of the squad.

He has also canvassed opinion more widely about the likelihood of further debilitating stories emerging before the World Cup.

The England manager is expected to make his decision purely on footballing rather than moral grounds, weighing the effect on the dressingroom of keeping Terry as captain versus the possible damage his removal could do.

But he will nevertheless want to be convinced by Terry that there are no more embarrassing revelations, or worse, that are yet to emerge that could further destabilise the build-up to the World Cup.

All involved would like to draw a line under the affair today, but the FA chief executive, Ian Watmore, and the chairman, Lord Triesman, are determined the decision and its timing should be entirely in the gift of Capello. Throughout, they have sought to maintain the line that the decision is one for Capello alone and worked hard to clamp down on the possibility of other members of the FA board or international committee speaking out on the matter.

Capello would like to have made a definitive decision before he steps on to a plane tomorrow to leave for the Euro 2012 qualifying draw in Warsaw, but is prepared to take longer to make up his mind should he deem it necessary.

He is due to face the press following the draw on Sunday, a day which is also likely to bring forth further lurid revelations about Terry and other high-profile footballers.

Mancini revealed yesterday that he discussed Bridge’s state of mind with Baldini on Monday, when he was at Wembley for Manchester City’s failed attempt to gain a work permit for the Kenya international Mcdonald Mariga.

“Baldini asked me about Wayne and I told him that he is training every day and it’s not a good moment in his head but it’s not a problem on the training ground,” Mancini said.

“For me it’s important he can play now and not think about the other person.

“Wayne is most important for us and the other players. He plays in the national team and he’s the best left back in England and the Premier League and that’s the most important thing for me and the other players.

“I spoke with him three days ago and yesterday and he wants to play on Saturday and I think he can play.”

Guardian Service

THE OPTIONS

Throw Terry out of the squadThis would not only be an overreaction but a self-destructive act that would aid opponents by weakening England

Persuade him to stand down as captainIn effect this would still resemble a sacking and Capello would look hesitant by not taking a firm decision himself

Remove the captaincyThis is feasible but Capello would then be open to the accusation he had made a bad choice when appointing Terry as captain.

Let him keep the captaincyWarning Terry as to his future conduct while retaining him as captain would avoid disruption ahead of the World Cup