Friday Feb 15 2008 16:11
Chelsea captain John Terry has made a remarkable recovery from a foot injury and has been included in the Blues squad to face Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup fifth round this weekend.
The 27-year-old England central defender has not featured since mid-December and was not expected to return to action for several weeks.
However, Blues manager Avram Grant confirmed on Friday: "Perhaps he is the bionic man, but he is very strong both mentally and physically.
"He is a very important player for us. I have been all over the world and never seen a captain like him.
"He's a big influence on the team. For me, the captain sets an example and we have missed him a lot."
Grant had previously stated that Terry would be back in action in the Carling Cup final against Spurs a week on Sunday at the earliest.
At the end of last week, Grant had commented: "He trained Friday and Saturday and everybody was happy to see him. He is the leader we need.
"He will be fit in around three weeks. I think it will be too soon for the Carling Cup final but we will see. He wants to do everything to be as fit as soon as possible."
Have your say on this article