Terry receives partial reprieve while Ivanovic escapes censure

Chelsea captain John Terry will be able to play from the start of their Champions League defence after having his three-match ban reduced on appeal by UEFA.

The England defender was sent off in last season’s semi-final second leg against Barcelona in the Nou Camp for an off-the-ball offence against Alexis Sanchez.

Terry was handed an automatic three-match suspension for violent conduct, the first game of which was the final against Bayern Munich, where the Blues won Europe’s top prize for the first time after a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

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However, UEFA have partially upheld Terry’s subsequent appeal, which means he will now also miss the Super Cup game with Europa League winners Atletico Madrid on August 31, but with the remaining sanction suspended for three years.

As winners, Chelsea qualified directly for the group stages of the Champions League, taking the place of Tottenham, who had finished above the Blues in fourth place in the Premier League.

A statement from UEFA said: “Although the central defender is still suspended for three UEFA club competition matches, the third game of the ban has now been deferred for a probationary period of three years.”

The boost for Terry followed confirmation by the Football Association that defender Branislav Ivanovic will not face any suspension despite his red card in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.

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The Serbian caught fellow countryman Aleksandar Kolarov with a high tackle which referee Kevin Friend deemed worthy of a straight red card.

It was thought Ivanovic would be banned for three matches, starting with Chelsea’s opening Premier League fixture at Wigan next Sunday.

However, it appears the FA changed their rules after an incident during an Amsterdam Tournament in 2006, when Manchester United pair Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off against Porto and ended up serving three-match bans.

As the rule change covered all non-competitive pre-season fixtures, including the Community Shield, it means Ivanovic will be free to play at the DW Stadium.