John Terry Not Part Of Chelsea FC Travelling Squad
John Terry is not part of Chelsea FC’s travelling squad as they prepare to take on Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League clash.
After being substituted prematurely against Newcastle United, it has now been confirmed that John Terry will not feature in Chelsea’s Champions League knockout fixture with PSG. The Englishman’s niggle has meant that the club have travelled without their captain.
The official Blues website were pointed in their description of Terry’s injury, giving little away.
"John Terry has not travelled due to a minor problem with his hamstring and ligament."
Although expected, this is still a massive blow to Guus Hiddink and the team. Having already lost Kurt Zouma for the rest of the season, the interim boss will need to be creative with his defensive formations if he is to successfully navigate a tough stretch of games.
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Chelsea’s defensive options are rather thin, with the arrival of Matt Miazga in January doing little to substantially reinforce them. As a result, Hiddink will likely do what he did at the weekend and shift Branislav Ivanovic into the middle. This would force Cesar Azpilicueta out to the right flank and clear space for a Baba Rahman start.
However, the most significant quality that will be lacking on Tuesday night will be Terry’s leadership. As the undisputed heart and soul of the club, the club captain’s big game experience and tactical nous will be sorely missed at the Parc des Princes.
Miazga has indeed been called up to the travelling party in Terry’s absence. However, it is unlikely that the young American will see much game time bar an unfortunate occurrence. Although highly touted over in the United States, the 20-year-old is yet to play a minute on these shores and will not be thrust into such a massive clash as his debut.
This is especially true given that Ivanovic has played in the central defensive slot on multiple occasions. While he may not have done so for a while, his shift in the position against Newcastle was somewhat encouraging as the Serb looked solid and reassured.
Ivanovic will also be taking the armband on Tuesday night as the club’s vice-captain. There will be much pressure on the defender’s shoulders, but it will also be an opportunity for him to show that he is deserving of his contract extension.
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With this Terry development, we may witness both John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic in the midfield, with extra defensive cover needed for this makeshift backline. How significant is Terry’s absence? Let us know in the comments below!