Chelsea captain John Terry, right, speaking with QPR's Anton Ferdinand.-Photo by AP

LONDON: Chelsea have turned down a proposal for their players to wear shirts in support of captain John Terry who has been charged with racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

Some of the Blues squad and staff had raised the prospect of donning T-shirts showing their backing for the skipper.

Liverpool were heavily criticised in some quarters for allowing their players to wear T-shirts in support of Luis Suarez during the warm-up before Wednesday's Premier League game at Wigan, following the striker's eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

Chelsea, who fully back Terry in his fight to clear his name, did not want to risk emulating something that could be viewed as provocative or construed as a potential contempt of court ahead of Terry's hearing at West London magistrates court on February 1.

A club spokesman said: “We were aware of the idea being discussed among some of the players and staff.

“The club fully supports John but did not think the wearing of T-shirts was an appropriate or helpful show of that support.”