John Terry jets out to Dubai for crunch match with his wife

The 29-year-old, who was sacked as England captain last week, will be eager to find out whether Toni will blow the final whistle on their marriage.

The mother of two fled last week to Dubai, following allegations that her husband had an affair with lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-partner of England team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Yesterday Terry had a serious look on his face as he was escorted to the plane at London's Heathrow airport shortly after 8.30am, wearing blue jeans and a white hoodie.

The England player is now expected to focus on resolving the couple's marital problems.

He has been allowed to miss Chelsea's FA Cup match against Cardiff this Saturday to take some time off after lurid headlines relating to his private life were splashed across the papers.

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins said Terry discussed taking a break from club duties with manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He said: "He will not play this weekend. Carlo is giving him a bit of time off. He will come back and prepare for our game against Wolves on the 20th. They just had a little chat, John and Carlo, and decided that would be the best for all concerned."

John Terry would have been applauded in some countries rather than sacked as national team captain for having an alleged affair, according to Fifa president Sepp Blatter. He joked that in "Latin" countries such as France, Italy and Spain, Terry's conduct may not have been considered a problem.