Upson: Terry style adds to injury woe
England centre-back Matthew Upson believes that John Terry's uncompromising style of defending is contributing to his growing list of injuries.
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John Terry is back in action for his club.
Terry also missed the key Euro 2008 qualifying defeats against Russia and Croatia and Upson, who deputised for the injured defender against the Kazakhs and looks set to retain his place in Minsk, can see why the Chelsea skipper's body is so battered.
'Injuries are a hazard of the position and there comes a time where, especially as a defender, you're going to have to put your body on the line,' Upson said.
'You have to make a decision in some games, and John does that every week.
'The older you get the more you start to get these problems. It is a case of getting some good advice and good treatment to make sure your body is strong enough to compete.'
Terry once said he wanted to play in every game he could and not even the prospect of spending the latter part of his life in a wheelchair would alter his opinion.
It may be an ill-advised viewpoint but Upson feels a certain amount of physical discomfort has to be tolerated as part of the job.
'The contact has an effect,' the West Ham United defender said.
'When you have a piece of surgery the balance of your body changes. After years of pounding away you can have a chronic problem.
'But its part of the position and you have to expect it.'
Left-back Ashley Cole will join Terry on the sidelines with a hamstring injury and the absence of the defensive duo has shorn England of a combined total of 115 caps.
Wayne Bridge should replace Cole to start his first competitive international since last November's home defeat to Croatia, which cost England a place at Euro 2008 and Steve McClaren his job.
Third-choice goalkeeper Robert Green was last night ruled out of the trip with a sore knee, leaving Capello with just David James and Scott Carson to choose from.
TERRY'S INJURY WOES
January 2003: Having been one of Chelsea's most reliable players fitness-wise, Terry suffers a back injury and is sidelined for two weeks.
May 2003: The 27-year-old misses the end of the season with a thigh strain.
June 2004: Terry is ruled out of England's opening match at Euro 2004 against France with a hamstring injury.
September 2005: A knee injury forces Terry to miss England's World Cup qualifying matches against Wales and Northern Ireland.
June 2006: Terry sustains another knee injury in England's final warm-up game before the 2006 World Cup but recovers to play in every match.
December 2006: The defender is troubled by his back again and this time undergoes surgery to try to fix the problem. The Chelsea captain does not return until the start of February.
February 2007: Terry picks up an ankle problem in Chelsea's Champions League tie against Porto but recovers to play in the Carling Cup final against Arsenal. He is then knocked out at the Millennium Stadium when he is accidentally kicked in the face by Abou Diaby.
October/November 2007: Terry misses England's vital Euro 2008 qualifiers against Russia and Croatia after a recurrence of a knee injury in training. England lose both games and fail to reach the finals.
December 2007: Terry breaks three bones in his foot in a tackle with Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue. He recovers quicker than expected and returns for the Carling Cup final in February.
May 2008: In the last Premier League game of the season against Bolton, Terry collides with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and suffers a partially dislocated elbow. He recovers in time for the Champions League final.
October 2008: Another back problem forces Terry out of England's World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus.
