Terry out for weeks not months, say Chelsea

Chelsea's injured captain John Terry walks across the pitch following their English Premier League soccer match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, November 11, 2012.

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea captain John Terry will be out for weeks, not months, after he injured his knee on his comeback against Liverpool at the weekend, the Premier League club said on Monday.

Terry, who had missed the previous four domestic matches for the European champions while serving a ban for racially insulting Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last year, was hurt in a first half collision with Luis Suarez.

"Today's MRI scans on John Terry's right knee thankfully show no significant damage to the cruciate ligaments," Chelsea said on their website (www.chelseafc.com).

"Chelsea Football Club's medical team will conduct further tests over the next two or three days once the swelling has subsided to determine how long John will be out, but it will be a matter of weeks not months."

There were fears Terry, who scored after 20 minutes in the 1-1 draw, could miss the rest of the season after the nasty collision buckled his knee and left him on crutches after the game.

(Writing by Tom Pilcher, Edited by Alan Baldwin)