John Terry is set to be in Chelsea’s squad for the FA Cup tie with Huddersfield this weekend. Terry suffered a fractured foot in the clash with Arsenal on December 16 and has sidelined since. He wasn’t expected to return for at least another fortnight but Terry has made a lightening fast recovery that has seen Avram Grant label him as “bionic”.
“He has surprised us all, maybe he is a bionic man,” remarked Grant. ‘He heals very, very quickly and well and maybe he will be available for tomorrow. We didn’t decide about it yet but each injury depends on the person and he is very strong, not just mentally, also physically.”
Grant’s goes on to hint at what we already know – that Terry will be ever-present in the Chelsea side once fit.
“He is a big influence on the team and for me, a captain is not just about talking, it is about being an example. We miss him a lot on the pitch.”
His return gives Grant a straight choice between Alex and Carvalho for his partner in the centre, with the smart money on the latter, despite the form of Alex to this point.
That will obviously be a concern to fantasy managers who can now consider acquiring Terry himself – an expensive option but one that can offer big and consistent returns. Terry has completed just nine Premiership games this season in which Chelsea conceded just five goals. Clean sheets are a given then, while FPL bonus points are likely to follow with Terry likely to be under the microscope on his return. The Chelsea skipper is also known for his threat at set-pieces and yet he has not registered this season and only notched a single goal in 27 Premiership appearances last term.
He is currently valued at 7.3 in the FPL game, a drop from his original pricing of 7.5 but still the most expensive defensive option along with Ferdinand. His pricing in the Fantasy League games meanwhile makes him more difficult to justify. He’s priced a 5.7 million, by far and away the most expensive centre-back option ahead of teammates Carvalho at 5.4 and Alex at 5.1.
Is he worth the investment? I’ll add a poll to canvas opinion later tonight.