Not a Terry Christmas for Blues

Terry, who was missing over a similar period last season because of a back problem which required surgery, was diagnosed almost exactly a year later with three broken bones in his foot.

"We will continue to assess John over the next couple of days, but I would imagine he will be out for a minimum of six weeks," club doctor Bryan English told Chelsea TV.

Terry was injured in a challenge with Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue in Sunday's 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at the Emirates Stadium, which left them third in the table and six points adrift of the Gunners at the top.

Last time around, it was subsequent champions Manchester United who led second-placed Chelsea both before and after Terry's mid-season injury.

As Chelsea prepare for a series of fixtures in which they ought to be able to prosper even without Terry, the England defender's availability for his country's first match under new coach Fabio Capello - against Switzerland on February 6 - becomes another imponderable.

Medical updates will therefore doubtless be sought on a daily basis - and the first of them followed scans on Monday.

"John Terry has fractured three bones in his right foot, including his third metatarsal," Chelsea reported on their website, www.chelseafc.com.

English added: "An x-ray taken in the Arsenal medical room straight after John left the field didn't show the injury.

"However, as is usual with mid-foot injuries, the fractures were revealed following scans - which were performed Tuesday afternoon," said English. "John will start his rehabilitation immediately with the Chelsea medical team, and we will continue to monitor the injury."