Of all the factors underpinning John Terry’s apparent fall from grace under Fabio Capello, the hardest for the Chelsea captain to accept is that, had he not suffered a knee injury on the eve of that fateful European Championship qualifier against Russia in October, the England manager is unlikely to have been put in a position to demote him.

Avram Grant, the Chelsea first-team coach, believes that with Terry in the team England would have beaten Russia and Croatia and qualified for this summer’s tournament in Austria and Switzerland and that view will be supported by all those who remember the wretched defending on those torturous evenings — a hypothetical theory that, if correct, might have prevented Capello being appointed. Terry is used to spending a considerable amount of time on the treatment table, although such knowledge must be a bitter pill to swallow.

Terry is no expert in counterfactual history, but he is entitled to feel sorry for himself because the reasons for his fall have been largely beyond his control. As in the equally cut-throat world of stand-up comedy, timing is everything in football, and of late Terry’s has been terrible.

His misfortune — not to mention Steve McClaren’s — in missing those crucial qualifiers was compounded because a foot injury suffered in December meant that he was unfit when Capello was appointed, ensuring that he became the first victim of the new no-nonsense era. As acting captain, Terry half-expected, and certainly hoped, for a phone call from the new manager but was disappointed, with their only contact before this week being a stiff handshake in the directors’ box at Goodison Park in January during the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Everton, which Terry missed because of his foot injury. In one sense, he has been a casualty of his own courage, with his desire to play through the pain contributing to his injuries.

Terry’s absence from the match against Switzerland at Wembley last month meant that Capello’s policy of rotating the captaincy began without him, although other less tangible factors may also be at play. With “respect” and “role model” such buzzwords at present, several FA board members have made it clear privately that Terry is lacking in both criteria, which Capello will consider.

Although tabloid headlines detailing alleged drunken nights out and dangerous liaisons have been less prevalent in recent years, Terry’s sense of timing off the field has also deserted him, with his misguided decision to use a disabled parking bay while having lunch in Esher, Surrey, last week being seized upon to highlight the perceived arrogance of the modern footballer. In reality, the 27-year-old is as down to earth as they come, although a more serious problem is his habit of haranguing referees, which was evident during Chelsea’s 4-4 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane last week.

Capello is backing the FA’s call for greater respect to be shown to match officials, with Terry often the first to query any decision. While the England manager has frequently selected centre backs as his captain, there is a further suspicion that Terry may not be his ideal type of defender, with his backs-to-the-wall attitude and laddish leadership style contrasting with the manager’s preference for a more cerebral approach.

Terry’s fall from grace may have been sudden, but there has been a deterioration in his performances for Chelsea since he led them to successive league titles in 2005 and 2006, with a succession of back, knee, head, toe and foot injuries the main cause. José Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, was concerned enough about his captain’s fitness to query the condition of his legs shortly before he left the club last September, leading to a row as Terry pointed out the physical sacrifices he had made for the cause. Terry remains fundamental to Grant, although the Israeli has also acknowledged that he may not be able to play in every match.

For all these problems, Terry retains many qualities, not least the commitment and determination that have made him such an inspirational leader at club level. Given the many doubts, his greatest strength may be his character, as is illustrated by the incident that threatened to define his career. When he was an England Under-21 player six years ago, Terry was charged with assault and affray after an incident outside a West London nightclub. Few had identified him as a future England captain and he has the chance to confound his critics again.

Leading figures

John Terry has a long way to go to get close to the top five most prolific England captains

90

Number of occasions that Billy Wright and Bobby Moore each captained England, making them the joint record-holders

65

Games that Bryan Robson, in third place, led the team

58

David Beckham passed 50 to claim fourth place

34

Alan Shearer edges into the top five

13

John Terry’s games in charge so far, making him fifteenth in the list of England captains

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football