Capello faces biggest test of his reign over Terry

Fabio Capello flies back to London today for showdown talks with disgraced England captain John Terry, and the press are agreed that the Italian faces the toughest test of his career in handling the crisis that has engulfed his skipper.

Capello will meet Terry before the weekend and he has told the FA that he wants to have settled the matter before he flies out to Warsaw on Sunday for the Euro 2012 draw.

He will have to handle the situation delicately as his decision could have an impact on his authority and reputation in the England camp and among the fans. There is also the matter of England's chances at the World Cup.

Terry has made it clear he will not tender his resignation, and the FA have told Capello the decision is up to him - although many at Soho Square want to see Terry sacked. That leaves the ball squarely in Capello's court.

James Lawton of the Independent fears that Capello will grant Terry a reprieve on the grounds that he is still the best man of the job on the pitch.

He writes: "Capello is supposed to be the anti-thesis of Sven Goran Eriksson. He is supposed to be the leader, the disciplinarian, not the man who believes that if you are celebrated enough you can do pretty much what you like. The fear is that Capello may become not a reproach to Eriksson but merely an echo – even if his decision is born of pragmatism rather than outright weakness."

Matt Hughes in the Times comments: "The Italian has discussed options with Franco Baldini, the England general manager, but must first get to the bottom of a sordid affair that hitherto he has followed only from a distance."

He says the manager has several options open to him, including suspending Terry for one or two games.

In the Guardian Dominic Fifield and Owen Gibson believe that Capello's decision will be made "on the basis of the potential impact on the dynamics of the England dressing room".

They say: "But if Terry is to keep the armband, Capello will want to be convinced that there are no more potentially damaging revelations about the 29-year-old's private life to come, over the weekend or in the months leading up to the World Cup." ·