Sports minister wants Terry explanation

England football boss Fabio Capello was today weighing up John Terry's future as captain as more allegations about the player's private life emerged.

It is understood the Italian manager will have the final say on whether Terry can continue to lead the national team and is expected to give his verdict well in advance of England's next match.

The FA has so far refused to comment but Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said he will ask the governing body to explain its position on Terry, who failed with a High Court injunction to stop newspapers reporting claims that he had an affair with the ex-partner of his England and former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Mr Sutcliffe said if the allegations were proven they called into question Terry's role as England captain.

He said: "On the field John Terry is a fantastic player and a good England captain, but to be the captain of England you have got to have wider responsibilities for the country, and clearly if these allegations are proven - and at the moment they are only allegations - then it does call into question his role as England captain.

"I speak to the FA on a regular basis, so I will be asking what their viewpoint is and we will see what comes of it."

The pressure on Terry was exacerbated by extensive coverage in the Sunday newspapers about his alleged relationship with Vanessa Perroncel.

Bridge, 29, who has separated from Perroncel and now plays for Manchester City, said on Saturday in a statement that he did not intend to comment on the reports for the sake of the couple's son.

Perroncel is considering her next move after signing up publicist Max Clifford.

The allegations came to light after a gagging order was lifted by Mr Justice Tugendhat at the High Court in London on Friday.

Terry, who was voted Dad of the Year last year in a Daddies Sauce survey, has two children with his wife.

Despite the newspaper reports, it was business as usual on the pitch for Terry who scored the winning goal for his Chelsea team on Saturday night.

Terry, 29, who has refused to comment on allegations that he had cheated on wife Toni, had been expected to lead the team to this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Terry will remain captain of the club but refused to discuss whether he should remain skipper of the national team.

"I am manager of Chelsea and that is my focus, not England," he said.

The club already pledged its support to Terry and his family but added that it was "a personal matter".

Ancelotti said: "John has his private life. He has to control his private life, just as I have to control my team.

"He is captain of the team and I am very honoured and proud to manage John Terry."

Roberto Mancini revealed some of Manchester City's players wore shirts bearing the words Team Bridge in support of team-mate Wayne Bridge during yesterday afternoon's Premier League win over Portsmouth.

Carlos Tevez, Nigel de Jong and Stephen Ireland were said to have worn the shirts supporting Bridge.

Gareth Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips, Bridge's team-mates at both Manchester City and England, did not wear the shirts.

Former England captain Alan Shearer described Terry as a "fantastic leader".

He said: "We do not know all the facts, so it would be wrong to suggest anything. What I do know is that John Terry is a fantastic leader and a very good footballer.

"I do not know him as a person - I have just played against him. Only John Terry and Fabio Capello will be able to tell in the coming weeks if it (the allegations) affects the captaincy."