Terry played in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Everton on Wednesday. “John has been given a few days leave and he will not play on Saturday,” said assistant boss Ray Wilkins. Terry boarded a flight to Dubai yesterday to visit his wife Toni, who has been in the Emirate with the couple’s children to escape the media. Terry, 29, was sacked as England captain last week after claims he had an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-girlfriend of former Blues colleague Wayne Bridge. Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has publicly backed his skipper but was expected to discuss the issue with Terry after the Premier League clash against Everton on Wednesday.Terry was outstanding in the 2-0 victory over Arsenal on Sunday, which sent Chelsea back to the top of the table, but he looked shaky in the defeat at Goodison Park and was at fault for Louis Saha’s second goal.“I think that’s inevitable when you’re playing against someone like Louis Saha,” said Wilkins. “John isn’t infallible, he will miss headers and he will get beaten in the air, but he’s been absolutely outstanding for us. We’ve been delighted with the way he’s played.” If Terry was hoping the story was beginning to die down then he will have been disappointed to hear Fifa president Sepp Blatter add his views to the matter on Thursday.But referencing the amount of news coverage the story has generated in the UK, Blatter joked that in some “Latin” countries Terry’s alleged conduct would have been cheered rather than condemned.“Listen, this is a special approach in the Anglo-Saxon countries,” Blatter said. “If this had happened in, let’s say, Latin countries then I think he would have been applauded.” Meanwhile, Chelsea also look likely to be without Ashley Cole for the visit of Cardiff after the England left-back limped off following a challenge with Landon Donovan. “I think Ashley was off balance and got caught – it wasn’t a bad foul, I think the ball just got caught between Ashley’s ankle and the tackle coming through,” said Wilkins. — BBC Sports.
