Terry back next week after amazing recovery

CHELSEA captain John Terry will complete a remarkable return to first- team football against Charlton next weekend, beating an injury that would have sidelined others for months.

The England captain last played against Newcastle on December 13 before undergoing major spinal surgery. Although Terry will not be fit enough to make his comeback against Blackburn on Wednesday night, coach Jose Mourinho is confident he will be fit to face Charlton.

The fact that Terry is playing again this season is a major feat. Chelsea’s club doctor Bryan English admits the kind of injury he suffered used to keep a player out for at least six months. English said: “Unfortunately, bruising on the nerve results in a slower recovery time than we would have liked. It’s the kind of problem that would have put him out for the rest of the season. But he’s shown lots of mental and physical strength and we’re already in the final stages.”

Mourinho cannot wait for Terry’s return to the centre of a defence that has suffered from a lack of strength in depth and Khalid Boulahrouz’s knee ligament injury. He will also be boosted by the return of Dutch winger Arjen Robben within the next two weeks. Robben sustained ankle ligament damage against Liverpool but is now well on the way to recovery.