Alex to play while John Terry eyes quick return

Chelsea's defensive crisis has eased after Alex postponed surgery on his knee and John Terry was told he could be back in action on Tuesday.

Alex will be out for up to eight weeks after the operation but has been cleared to face Birmingham tomorrow having been an unused sub for Brazil against Argentina this week.

And although Terry will not play at St Andrews he could be in contention for the Champions League game against Zilina three days later.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti said: "Alex will be available to play, this is good news. He trained well with Brazil. We know he needs to have surgery but now we are in a position where we can delay it. It's not a risk but in the long term his knee needs to be cleaned."

As for Terry, Ancelotti believes a trip to see specialists in Milan has helped diagnose the leg problem, which he has been struggling with since last season.

He said: "There is a muscle on his leg that is tight and the nerve is painful. We have to relax this muscle, so we have to look at his situation day by day. Today he has pain and will not be involved against Birmingham but maybe he will be able to play the next game. I think we can move on this problem quickly and put John in condition to play."