Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas hopes John Terry can make a quicker than expected return from his injury setback.

Terry is facing up to eight weeks out after being told he requires surgery to repair his damaged knee.

But Villas-Boas believes his captain could be back in half that time - although six weeks is a more realistic target.

"Four weeks would be excellent, but normally it's six weeks," he said.

Speaking after Chelsea's 3-1 Champions League defeat by Napoli on Tuesday , Villas-Boas said much depended on how the operation went as to when the influential defender would return.

"We'll have to wait and see how the operation goes. Four weeks? Hopefully the player can return in that time frame."

Terry, who will miss England's game with the Netherlands on 29 February, took part in training ahead of Chelsea's Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli before it emerged he could be sidelined until April.

"He'll have an exploratory arthroscopy in the next few days after which the medical team will be better placed to advise on a prognosis," said Chelsea.

Terry, 31, was stripped of the England captaincy earlier this month, with Fabio Capello later resigning as coach.

The skipper's last game for Chelsea was their 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on 28 January, but he has since missed games against Swansea, Manchester United, Everton and Birmingham - a run in which Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet.

The player has been struggling with the problem since colliding with a post in an FA Cup match against Portsmouth on 8 January.

Source;bbc