John Terry

It appears that John Terry has been scoring away from home on two fronts; however whilst he was able to help Chelsea's title charge by grabbing a late winner against Burnley on Saturday, he put his future as England captain in jeopardy and also seems to have put England manager, Fabio Capello in a problematic situation.

First things first - with regards to the legal injunction that was imposed but then overturned - questions have been raised by those who believe that by overturning it, it was an invasion of privacy. However, the situation extends beyond John Terry's alleged affairs. His actions, as captain of England, have implications for the team itself and for the tournament in South Africa. Therefore, I believe it was right to overturn the injunction because it is no longer about one man, it is about the team. Also, the fact that Terry applied for an injunction in the first place, has created more publicity than would have been generated had he not done so.

Excluding morality and stripping the situation away from anything but football we are left with several problems because John Terry's liaison just happened to be with the former girlfriend of his ex-Chelsea teammate and fellow England player, Wayne Bridge. Fortunately for John Terry, Wayne Bridge no longer plays for Chelsea otherwise Carlo Ancelotti would be in a similar situation to Fabio Capello. With the team selection for the World Cup looming ever closer, Capello will be mindful of the situation and will have to make a decision regarding captaincy sooner rather than later. Ashley Cole seems like the first-choice left back for England at this moment in time, but he came off injured on Saturday and there is no doubt that Capello will be taking along a reserve left-back - most likely to be Wayne Bridge. Therefore, this begs the question, will Wayne Bridge be happy to play under the captaincy of Terry? They won't be playing too far apart on the pitch either, inevitably they will have to communicate and ensure the England defence holds firm. Of course, both players are professionals but it helps if you get on with your fellow teammates.

The situation poses a big threat to the spirit of the England team - Wayne Bridge appears to be a very popular member of the squad and Terry's actions have already resulted in warring factions with 'Team Terry' and 'Team Bridge' taking opposite sides. In addition, as captain and as a professional, Terry is supposed to be an example not only to his teammates but also to the younger generation of footballers. This latest string of revelations about the defender's private life will have done a massive amount of damage to his reputation both as a footballer, and as a role model.

There have been suggestions that Terry should do the 'right thing' and give up his captaincy so that Fabio Capello is no longer put in an awkward position. I tend to agree with this. Terry has already threatened the spirit of the England team enough, the best thing he can do to redeem the situation now is let Capello decide what can be done without being stuck in a problematic position. This may ease the tension in the dressing room somewhat as both footballers, no doubt, have friends in common who are also stuck in an awkward position. After all, it was his and only his own actions that put him in the position he finds himself in now with regards to his future role as captain. Only then, can Terry begin to somewhat salvage his damaged reputation.