Terry will not make decision on his four-game ban until after Poland match

John Terry will delay his decision on whether to appeal against the guilty verdict on Football Association charges of racial abuse until next week, after the World Cup qualifier against Poland. The Chelsea captain, who was given a four-match ban and a £220,000 fine, has until Thursday to make a decision.

Should Terry choose not to contest the ban he will miss next Saturday's Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur, followed by the league game against Manchester United on the weekend after, the League Cup match against United and the trip to Swansea City in the league. If Terry contests the FA decision, any ban will kick in only after his appeal has been heard.

Meanwhile, last night's England captain has a new friend in the multiple Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Ian Thorpe. The inspirational words of the Australian are written on the wall at St George's Park, the FA's new coaching headquarters, and Rooney said last week they had made an impact on him. "Losing is not coming second. It's getting out of the water knowing you could have done better," wrote Thorpe. "The Ian Thorpe quote stuck in my mind – I think it's quite good," said Rooney – who opened the scoring from the penalty spot last night – at the time.

Last night Thorpe sent a tweet to Rooney which read: "All the best tonight Wayne. I hope it all goes well for u and the team and I am glad the quote helped. Best of luck mate."