LONDON – Chelsea captain John Terry has been ruled out of Tuesday’s Champions League football clash at Paris St Germain (PSG) after failing to recover from injury, the Premier League club said.
“The squad set off for France this afternoon… (but) John Terry has not travelled due to a minor problem with his hamstring and ligament,” the London club said on their website (www.chelseafc.com) on Monday.
The 35-year-old defender, who could leave Chelsea at the end of the season, came off during Saturday’s 5-1 home win over Newcastle United after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge.
Despite attending a training session on Monday, Terry did not travel with the squad for the last-16 first leg tie against the French champions at the Parc des Princes.
Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink told a news conference in Paris: “It was not a decision made by me. He was having too much trouble to travel, even to try tomorrow (Tuesday).
“We had a test this morning. It didn’t work well. He was himself also convinced he couldn’t be of worth to the team.”
Asked whether Terry would be fit for Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round clash at home to Manchester City, the Dutchman said: “Difficult. That’s why we prefer to have him in Cobham.”
Chelsea’s chances of playing in the Champions League next season rest almost solely on them winning the competition as they are 12th in the Premier League, 14 points behind fourth-placed Manchester City who occupy the final qualifying spot.
The second leg with PSG is at Stamford Bridge on March 9. (Reuters)
