Premiership: Chelsea urge FA to avoid Terry ‘kneejerk reaction’

Chelsea have urged the Football Association not to take a ‘‘knee-jerk reaction’’ to the charges facing John Terry following a nightclub incident by immediately banning him from playing for England.

In the wake of Terry being charged with assault and affray, Chelsea are adopting the same attitude as Leeds with Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate in stressing that he is ‘innocent until proven guilty’.

But while Terry will continue to be made available for selection to Claudio Ranieri, he could soon find himself suspended from international duty.

The FA set a precedent in ruling Bowyer and Woodgate out of the England reckoning until the end of their court cases and they will discuss Terry’s case on chief executive Adam Crozier’s return from holiday next week.

The chances are that Terry will be suspended from the Under-21 side, which he has captained in the past, as well as the senior squad, which he had a chance of being promoted to for the February friendly against Holland.

However, Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson said: ‘‘We would hope that the FA will take time to investigate the matter and consider the full facts rather than making any sort of knee-jerk reaction.’’

Hutchinson and boss Claudio Ranieri will sit down with Terry in the next couple of days to hear the defender’s version of events.

Terry was arrested early on Friday morning following an alleged incident in a central London nightclub.

Despite being released from police custody late on Friday night, he came on for the second-half of Chelsea’s FA Cup tie at Norwich yesterday despite having initially been dropped to the bench.

Chelsea, whose chairman Ken Bates is on the FA board of directors just like Leeds supremo Peter Ridsdale, will read the riot act to Terry, making it clear that he should not have been out on the town so soon before a game.

After all, the 21-year-old defender must learn quickly from his mistakes if an otherwise immensely promising career is not to be undermined.

Terry and Jody Morris, who was out with him but not arrested, will be fined two weeks’ wages, just as they were in September for taking part in an all-day drinking session the day after the terrorist attacks on the United States.

‘‘There is no doubt that both players will be fined the maximum amount possible for breaking a club curfew in being out less than 48 hours before a match,’’ confirmed Hutchinson.

Ranieri will continue to be allowed to select Terry, even if he must consider whether the 21-year-old’s court hearing on Wednesday will interfere with preparations for the Worthington Cup semi-final first leg that night.

Chelsea realise they may come under considerable flak for such a decision, just as Leeds did, but they are damned either way as suspending Terry would look as though he was being presumed guilty.

‘‘John Terry will continue to be made available for selection to Claudio Ranieri. We have to await the outcome of the legal proceedings,’’ added Hutchinson.

‘‘We cannot pre-judge the outcome of those legal proceedings, particularly when we do not yet have the full details of the case in our possession.

‘‘That would not be fair on John Terry to take action against him for allegations which he may, in due course, be found not guilty of.’’

Ranieri made it abundantly clear in the wake of Chelsea’s goalless draw at Carrow Road that he had no concerns about selecting Terry.

‘‘John Terry played very well, just like usual,’’ declared Ranieri. ‘‘I have no worries about him. He’s a good man.’’

The Chelsea coach may need Terry on Wednesday against Tottenham as he has a number of selection problems.

Marcel Desailly only managed half a game against Norwich on his return after two months out with an Achilles problem, while William Gallas was troubled by a knock and Graeme Le Saux is now suspended.

Terry’s international future will, however, be decided by leading FA figures in consultation with Sven-Goran Eriksson, Under-21 coach David Platt and technical director Howard Wilkinson.

The legal process will inevitably take some time and could overlap with the forthcoming friendlies in February and March for the senior and Under-21 England sides, if not longer.

The FA will have to consider that they suspended Bowyer and Woodgate from international duty after they were charged with assault and affray.

Although Bowyer is now available for selection after being cleared, Woodgate’s future still has to be decided as he is serving a 100-hour community service punishment after being found guilty of affray.

The FA are likely to take the view that although Terry’s case is less serious, he still faces charges of assault - albeit of causing actual, not grievous, bodily harm - and affray.