Chelsea captain John Terry has had arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee. He is expected to miss up to 12 games, according to the Guardian.
With only 13 games remaining in the Premier League season, Chelsea defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz will have to step up if the West London club wants to reach its goal of a top four finish in the Premier League.
Terry originally damaged his knee in an FA Cup game against Portsmouth FC on Jan. 8. He fought through the pain for over six weeks, but it became too much to bear.
Along with ruling him out of Premier League action, Terry’s surgery means he will miss England’s upcoming friendly against Holland on Feb. 29. Interim manager Stuart Pearce has a number of up-and-coming central defenders to choose from, with Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill, Phil Jones and Joleon Lescott all contending for a spot in England’s starting eleven.
It’s a race to fitness for Terry, if he wants to play a key role in this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament. He would still need to be picked by England’s new manager, despite battling a racism scandal that has had far-reaching implications.
