John Terry is facing a potentially lengthy period out of the Chelsea team with a chronic nerve problem in his right leg according to a number of unconfirmed reports this morning. The Daily Mail broke the news late last night and it has since been followed up with numerous stories in the mainstream media. At the time of writing, Chelsea FC have yet to confirm or deny the extent of the injury.
The Daily Mail suggests that there will be a meeting today between Terry and a team of specialists to discuss their next steps. The injury has been lingering around since the end of last season and Terry had admitted that he was carrying it during this summer’s World Cup. But it is the length of his absence that will worry Fantasy Football Managers, with Terry confirming that it will be at least a couple of weeks before he plays again…
“After games I am in agony and not sleeping at all. I used to play with pain at seven out of 10. Now? It’s 10 out of 10. I need to take a few weeks rest, see a couple of specialists and solve the problem.”
This will unquestionably be a blow to a Chelsea defence who leaked three goals at home to Sunderland on Sunday without him in the side and doubts will be raised as to whether, minus Terry’s reliable presence, the rest of the defenders are worth their high transfer values in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game. With Terry in the team they have managed 7 clean-sheets this season and after Sunday’s woes and with some very tough forthcoming fixtures (bir, new, EVE, tot, MUN, ars) this could be a worrying time for Ancelotti’s men. In their captain’s absence though, the likes of Branislav Ivanovic, Jose Bosingwa and (when back from injury) Alex, should all be counted on as nailed on starters, but may well need attacking points to justify the required outlay.
With the possibility of a leaky backline, the pressure will now be on big guns Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda to perform at the other end of the pitch. Malouda in particular had a fantastic start to the season, and is still the second highest scoring midfielder in the FPL game on 73 points, but in recent weeks has only been picking-up scraps. Drogba is also still flying high and has the second most points for a forward on 76, but has failed to score a goal since October 6. Defensive frailty for Chelsea could put increased emphasis on attack, so now might be the time for these expensive additions to step-up a gear and recapture some of their early season form.
Another worry and a factor that could affect results is the lack of natural leaders on the pitch, with Terry and Frank Lampard injured, Michael Essien suspended for the next two games and Didier Drogba clearly still lacking form and fitness. The shock home defeat to Sunderland could well be just the start of a decidedly dodgy patch for the Champions.
*edit* Chelsea FC have confirmed the Terry story with an official update on their site and say that the centre-back will see specialists to try and solve the problem. Although the club have yet to confirm many Fantasy Football Manager’s fears that it could be a long time before we see Terry back in action, as no time-scale has been put on his injury.
