Wenger not counting on edge from Terry fallout

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not expect the scandal engulfing John Terry to have any impact on his side’s meeting with Chelsea on Sunday.

Chelsea skipper Terry should know by then whether he has been stripped of the England captaincy as a result of his alleged affair with the former girlfriend of international team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Regardless of what England coach Fabio Capello decides, Wenger is anticipating facing a full-strength Chelsea side and admitted he was a little bemused by the extent to which Terry’s situation has preoccupied the media over the last week.

“I don’t want to go into that stuff about role models that you hear everywhere. It is quite a bit tiring,” said the Frenchman, whose team need to beat Chelsea to revive a Premier League title challenge that was severely dented by last weekend’s 3-1 home demolition by Manchester United.

“We do not have to interfere with Chelsea’s problems. I believe Chelsea will play at their best, we expect that, and that is why we just want to focus on our own performance.

“We have seen last Sunday when we do not play at our best we do not win the game and that is why the key is more on our side.”

Whilst reluctant to comment directly on Terry’s situation, Wenger suggested that he felt some sympathy for the Chelsea skipper.

“I believe more than footballers, human beings cross the line, and many of us do,” he said. “Who has not done that in life? We have all made mistakes.”

Wenger also argued that the role of the captain in football tended to be overplayed in England.

“Maybe it has historical roots in battles, fighting,” he mused. “Traditionally in the history of England the captain certainly had a big role and a big importance.

“I like that, but team sport is linked with recent history, the 20th century. Before that, it was all fighting, and so maybe it is linked with historical roots.

“In some other sports like rugby the captain has a bit more freedom and importance than in football.

“It is always an instant decision in a very quick time and the captain has no time to interfere with the individual decisions of the players on the pitch.”