LONDON (AP) Chelsea captain John Terry is set to undergo knee surgery and be out for up to two months, a person familiar with the situation said, relieving interim England coach Stuart Pearce of a potentially difficult roster selection.
Terry has not played for more than three weeks, and Chelsea's medical staff decided Tuesday that the defender must undergo an operation on his right knee, the person said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the extent of the injury was not discussed publicly.
Terry trained Monday in Italy on the eve of Chelsea's Champions League match against Napoli but woke up in discomfort a day later.
Pearce will not have to decide whether to select both Terry and Rio Ferdinand for his roster for next Wednesday's exhibition against the Netherlands. Terry was stripped of the England captaincy this month due to his upcoming trial for allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.
Fabio Capello quit as England coach after the Football Association stripped Terry of the captaincy without consulting the Italian.
Terry's absence will be less of a blow for England than Chelsea, which hasn't won a game since he last played on Jan. 28 against QPR. Chelsea has slipped to fifth in the Premier League and tied Birmingham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Terry has been troubled by the knee injury since colliding with a post last month in the FA Cup against Portsmouth.