Relief as Terry avoids bad break

CHELSEA have eased fears that John Terry may have broken a bone in his foot after yesterday’s defeat at Arsenal but cannot rule out the possibility of ligament damage to his ankle.

Terry went off injured in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, the victim of a late tackle from Emmanuel Eboue, and will have scans today to find out the extent of the damage.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant, who refused to be drawn on whether Eboue should have been sent off, said: “It is John’s ankle. He is not feeling so good but he didn’t break anything. Maybe it is something in his ligament. We will know on Monday. We had lost Ricardo Carvalho before the game so it was more than a little bit of a problem.”

Terry’s injury is a major blow to Chelsea at a time when they are also without Didier Drogba and are preparing to lose further players to the African Nations Cup in January.

They are now six points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League and may opt to utilise the transfer window to re-ignite their title challenge.

Grant said: “I am disappointed that we have lost the game and that both our defeats have come against Manchester United and Arsenal. But if we continue to play like this the gap is only six points and at this stage of the season it is not the end of the world. We can do it.

“With the African Nations Cup in January and the injuries we have, though, if a player makes the team better we will be interested. We are looking for very good players in the attacking areas.”

In comparison, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is on a high after seeing his side produce a battling performance to maintain top spot thanks to a goal from former Chelsea player William Gallas.

He said: “William pops up when you need it. He scored in the last minute against Manchester United and has scored again. He is the best definition of a leader and shows he is a winner.

“Arsenal is a special club and it can take a few month to integrate into the whole club. He is now at that stage and I believe he has been transformed completely. He is a great captain and does a lot of things both on and off the pitch.”

Wenger believes his side are now real title contenders, although he hesitates to rule out either Chelsea or Liverpool.

“It’s nothing decisive,” he said. “Liverpool have lost many points at home and they will need to come back but they are still in it. Chelsea today have also shown they have the strength to fight for the title. But at the moment the most consistent are Man United and Arsenal. The spirit inside our camp is amazing and the belief is there.”

The only problem on Wenger’s horizon is a statement from midfielder Lassana Diarra in the French press that he is unhappy and wants to leave.

“We’re halfway through December, and I’ve decided: I want to leave Arsenal,” Diarra told L’Equipe. “The bottom line is the coach doesn’t need me. They don’t want me. I don’t understand, because I’ve got more value in the French national team.”

Wenger promised to hold talks with the disaffected midfielder but suggested that he would not let the former Chelsea player leave. He said: “I am unhappy that he is unhappy. We will try to make him happy. Like William it takes a few months to integrate into the club.”