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Terry can take a break: Ancelotti

LONDON - Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is ready to let John Terry miss this weekend’s FA Cup tie against Cardiff if the Blues skipper wants a break to help resolve personal problems that have already cost him the England captaincy.

Terry’s marriage has been placed under strain after reports he had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Last week England manager Fabio Capello, responding to a welter of unflattering coverage in the British press, stripped Terry of his role as skipper of the national side and appointed another central defender in Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand to the role.

Ancelotti has been steadfast in his support of Terry and made it clear that, unlike fellow Italian Capello, the 29-year-old will remain his captain.

Terry, fully fit after suffering a dead leg during Premier League leaders Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over title rivals Arsenal, is set to lead the west London club away to Everton on Wednesday.

However, reports have suggested he will then leave for Dubai, where his wife Toni, the mother of his twin sons, has been trying to escape the media storm surrounding her husband.

Ancelotti said he would have no issues with Terry taking some time off, although he stressed no decision had yet been made on whether to give his captain a break.

‘We have spoken and we will take the decision together after the Everton game to see if he needs to rest two days or if he wants to stay here and play against Cardiff,’ Ancelotti told reporters at Chelsea’s training ground on Tuesday.

‘He has not asked for any time off to see his wife. My preference is what he wants. I am totally supportive of him. We will make the decision together.

‘We want to respect the FA Cup because it is an important trophy in this country so we will speak after the game against Everton and make the decision, the right one for us both.’

‘The FA Cup and John’s marriage are different; FA Cup is professional, the other thing is private.’

Chelsea drew 3-3 with Everton at Stamford Bridge in November and Ancelotti hopes his side’s defending from set pieces has improved since their last meeting with David Moyes’s men.

‘It could be an important night in the Premier League. We play Everton and Manchester United play Aston Villa,’ Ancelotti said.

‘We want to win the league and we need to win away. We do not change our philosophy away from home.

‘But we be will be better at defending set pieces. We won a lot of games from set pieces and against Arsenal we scored from a corner so we are doing very well in front of goal.’