Centre-back suffered 'a bit of bruising' in right foot
Winning Double 'would rank at the very top'

John Terry has felt the hot flush of horror before in what has been a tumultuous season, but at Chelsea's training ground on Wednesday, when he lay with pain coursing through the nerves in his right foot, he thought he saw the future flash in front of him. England's World Cup metatarsal curse had surely struck again and after all his well‑publicised recent difficulties, Terry might have considered two words. "Tin" and "lid".

They say players know immediately when an injury is a bad one and Terry, whose iron-man reputation is built on his willingness to play through almost any discomfort, admitted that he had feared the worst. The ensuing couple of hours intensified his torment. The central defender's foot was placed in a protective boot and he was whisked off to hospital for a scan.

"I was a bit scared, I must say," Terry said, using words that rarely leave his lips. "I was just running back to goal and Daniel Sturridge fell on top of me. My foot was caught underneath. I thought it was quite bad, initially."

Metatarsal problems have become a sideshow for England in the build-up to major tournaments. David Beckham first introduced the word into the vernacular in 2002 and Wayne Rooney's fracture was the story of the countdown to the 2006 World Cup. So when news of Terry's scare broke, the media were beside themselves.

Terry watched the burgeoning frenzy on television but by then he had his foot up and had been given a virtual all-clear. There would be no doubt over his participation in Saturday's FA Cup final against Portsmouth, in which Chelsea will seek to complete the Double, let alone the World Cup finals in South Africa. "I was sitting there and I just wanted to tell everyone, 'I'm fine,'" Terry said.

There was still the matter of a second scan this morning, upon his arrival at Chelsea's Cobham training ground, but it was little more than a formality. Terry trained as usual, with no twinges, and he was back to his bullish norm.

"I felt good, there was nothing at all when I was passing or striking the ball," he said. "I came straight in to see the doctor and he sent me for a scan straight away. It was always going to be a quick scan, nothing serious. I was delighted when I got Wednesday's scan results and there was no ligament damage or anything like that. It was just a bit of bruising inside the foot so no problem at all. It was sorted out in a couple of hours.

"Once I'd had the scan, I didn't wear the boot. It was just protection, really. The doctor advised me to keep it on but once I'd got the scan results, I was back in my normal trainer."

During his nervous wait for those scan results, Terry's mind might have wandered to the low points of his season. The nadir arrived when Fabio Capello, the England manager, stripped him of the national captaincy over an alleged affair with Vanessa Perroncel, a former girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, Terry's then England team-mate and the mother of Bridge's child.

Terry could forget about his dream of emulating Bobby Moore, another Barking boy, by lifting the World Cup. He could also, it transpired, forget about a handshake from Bridge when Manchester City visited Stamford Bridge in February. Bridge retired from international football after the scandal.

This season, Terry's form has come under the microscope as never before and every mistake – there was a run of them in February – has led to questions about his ability and state of mind. Such treatment clearly rankles. Asked today about the mental strength he has needed in the face of his troubles, Terry's response was curt. "We've won the Premier League and we're in the FA Cup final," he said. "It doesn't get much better than that."

If getting his hands on the Premier League trophy last Sunday, after the most exciting title race in years, was the sweetest of moments for Terry, representing a release of pent-up tension, there is also the feeling that in the drama of the past two days he has finally caught a break. Could it be a portent not only for the Double but also glory in South Africa?

"I said in the week that we could go to the World Cup possibly as Double winners and that would be great for us," Terry said. "Nothing will ever make up for Moscow [Chelsea's 2008 Champions League final defeat by Manchester United, in which Terry missed a penalty that would have given his team the trophy] unless we go there and win it [the Champions League] in my lifetime, that's a fact. But winning the Double would rank right at the very top.

"It has never been done by anyone at the football club and me being captain as well, I take a lot of pride in that. We have worked so hard this season, it's been a tough ride along the way but we came through strong in the league together and that's what we have to do for one more game."

The Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, said he would field the same starting team as in Sunday's 8-0 defeat of Wigan Athletic. The Italian's only cause for concern is the defender Branislav Ivanovic, who has a knee problem. Paulo Ferreira stands by. A relieved Terry has his eyes on the prizes.