Claims that John Terry racially abused Anton Ferdinand have led to intense distraction at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea and Manchester United prepare to lock horns.
The issue of racism continues to rage in English football as a man has been charged for making racist comments during Tuesday night’s Manchester United vs Stoke City match against some of the away players. The fan, identified as 57-year-old Howard Hobson, is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Hobson will go to court on Wednesday.

News related to John Terry, however, is making more noise across the globe. The Chelsea skipper has been stripped from his England captaincy following David Bernstein’s decision to do so. According to the media in England, the FA chairman communicated the news to Terry via a phone call. A statement by the FA explained:

“Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, the Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved.

“The FA board expected the trial to be concluded prior to the European Championships. Further to Wednesday's confirmation that the trial will not take place until after the tournament, the board has discussed the matter in detail and has collectively decided it is in the interests of all parties that John has the responsibilities of captaincy removed at this time.

“[…] FA chairman David Bernstein has spoken to both John Terry and Fabio Capello to explain the facts to them. Fabio Capello has not been involved in The FA board discussions which reached this conclusion, but understands that The FA board has authority to make this decision. Fabio Capello will take the decision as to who will be made captain moving forward.

“This decision in no way infers any suggestion of guilt in relation to the charge made against John Terry. The FA will be not be making any further comment on this matter.”

The news broke on Friday afternoon, prompting an angry reaction from coach Andre Villas-Boas who reportedly declared:

“It's really an FA decision. I have nothing to say about it. I don't agree with it. The statement from the FA was pretty clear on what was their decision-making.

“John will continue to be our captain. It [the trial] doesn't compromise on my decision-making. It obviously compromises on the FA's decision-making.”

Either way, John Terry will not feature in Sunday’s crucial Chelsea vs Manchester United English Premier League match. The veteran defender, who will miss the game due to a knee injury, might only return to action in a week or two.

New signing Gary Cahill is expected to fill in Terry’s place but what will this mean to Manchester United’s scoring chances at Stamford Bridge?