Terry Braces Himself for Time Out

John Terry will not play against Portsmouth tomorrow after accepting he will require a period of recovery from the concussion he suffered at the Millennium Stadium last Sunday. The England captain spent several minutes unconscious after being knocked out by a heavy accidental kick from Abou Diaby during his team's 2-1 win over Arsenal in the Carling Cup final in Cardiff. The impact left him feeling groggy and tired on Monday and Tuesday.

No damage was found during the scan he had on Wednesday, which Chelsea yesterday described as "routine". Nevertheless, having accepted that the incident might have been much more serious, he also sought the advice of a specialist neurologist yesterday.

It is significant that Terry, who is normally enthusiastic beyond the call of duty, has not committed himself to playing in Chelsea's Champions League second-round, second-leg tie at home to Porto on Tuesday. Terry's condition has markedly improved since his early-week torpor but, coupled with relief that there will be no long-term effects to blight his football career, there is dismay among those close to the defender at the actions of Chelsea's medical staff.

There is a feeling that, since he had suffered a head trauma, he should not have been permitted to discharge himself from hospital after the match. Terry could not remember anything about the incident and it is felt that he should not have been allowed to assess his own situation.

What has compounded that sense of anger is that his return to the dressing room in the immediate aftermath of the match was also authorised by medics. However, it is understood he did not drink alcohol and his situation was monitored by Stewart Sullivan, a club masseur.

Chelsea yesterday sought to play down the significance of the injury. "We stress that the scan was entirely routine and normal procedure for an injury of this type and raised no cause for concern," said a statement.

"John's OK. He's still a little shaken but he's improving well," added the assistant manager, Steve Clarke. "If you get a kick in the head and it knocks you out, you're going to feel groggy for a couple of days."

Chelsea's striker Didier Drogba has been named African Player of the Year for 2006, beating Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o by just five votes. The Ivory Coast forward ended the Cameroonian's three-year grip on the title after polling 79 votes from coaches of the member states of the Confederation of African Football. Drogba's Stamford Bridge team-mate and Ghana midfielder Michael Essien was third with 36 votes.