QPR boss Mark Hughes will hold a meeting with his players on Friday morning to discuss whether John Terry's handshake will be snubbed.
Manager Hughes to consult QPR players ahead of Blues game
QPR manager Mark Hughes will hold a meeting with his players on Friday morning to discuss whether John Terry's handshake will be snubbed ahead of Sunday's game with Chelsea.
The West London derby at Stamford Bridge is the first time that Anton Ferdinand and Terry have met in a Premier League game since the Chelsea captain was accused of racially abusing the QPR defender in October's reverse fixture.
Terry was charged with a racially-aggravated public order offence in December last year following the game, but the former England captain denies the charge and has vowed to fight "tooth and nail" to clear his name in his trial, which takes place on July 9th.
Ferdinand is understood to be contemplating snubbing the 31-year-old's handshake prior to the game and QPR boss Hughes wants to know the plans of his centre-back, and the rest of the Rangers team before the game.
It is thought that Hughes will announce whether his team's players will snub Terry's handshake at Friday afternoon's pre-match press conference following the meeting with his players at the club's training ground.
Ferdinand has held discussions with his lawyers about whether snubbing Terry's handshake on Sunday would prejudice the former England skipper's trial.
Cancelled
The Football Association cancelled the pre-match handshake when the two clubs met in the FA Cup in January, but the Premier League insists that the handshake between the two sides will go ahead this weekend.
Ferdinand has held talks with QPR about the handshake, and the player insists he is in the right frame of mind to play despite the hostile atmosphere he and his team-mates will face in Sunday's derby.
The Crown Prosecution Service have also moved to reject suggestions that they have advised Terry and his legal presentatives not to shake hands with Ferdinand as it could impact on the upcoming court case.
"Some sections of the media have reported today that the CPS has advised footballer John Terry not to shake hands with Anton Ferdinand before a match this weekend. This is not correct," read a CPS statement.
"The CPS has not given any such advice to Terry or his legal representatives. The media is reminded that the case involving Terry has yet to be heard and proceedings are still active."
Should Ferdinand snub Terry's handshake, it will mark another chapter in what has been a turbulent year or so for Chelsea's skipper.
Terry regained the England captaincy in March 2011 after originally losing the armband following newspaper allegations about his private life, but he lost the honour again in February after he was charged with racially abusing Ferdinand.
The Chelsea centre-half was sent off on Tuesday night for kneeing Alexis Sanchez in the back during the Blues' UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona. The Londoners went on to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate but Terry will be suspended for the final and he apologised for his conduct after the game at Camp Nou.
