Newton insists Terry hearing will not spoil derby preparations

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John Terry’s ongoing disciplinary hearing will not spoil Chelsea’s preparations for Saturday’s derby against Arsenal, the Blues’ assistant coach Eddie Newton has insisted.

Terry played against Wolves.

The hearing into Terry’s alleged racist comments towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand is set to go into a third day on Wednesday.

The former England skipper has not trained this week but still managed to play a full 90 minutes as Chelsea thrashed Wolves 6-0 in the League Cup on Tuesday night.

“We knew John would play – it was always the plan,” Newton said.

“We waited patiently to see how it panned out today and then got a phone call that he was making his way back from the FA nice and early.

“We covered all the bases and all scenarios and for us the best scenario happened.”

He added: “It will not be difficult to prepare for the weekend. We will do as we always do. It’s just a matter of making sure we cover all our bases like we did today.

“There are ways and means around it [if Terry is unable to train]. We will make sure we get around John and prepare him accordingly.

“John has played a lot matches and he has got enough training under his belt. He is a senior player and he knows how to look after his body.”

Daniel Sturridge’s chances of returning from a hamstring strain for the game at the Emirates Stadium are rated at 50-50, while Frank Lampard could miss out with an ankle problem.

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