Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack admits the end is near for club captain John Terry at Stamford Bridge, but insists the defender cannot make a bad choice when it comes to the next stage of his career.

Terry, 36, has found his opportunities limited under Italian manager Antonio Conte this season, with David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta all preferred in a back-three formation.

The Blues have not missed Terry’s services so far, surging well clear at the top of the Premier League table while the veteran has not played a game in the competition since the start of November.

But after a 19-year career and four Premier League titles in south-west London, Ballack is urging his former teammate to relax over the decision of where to go next – with reports linking him with moves to the USA or China over retirement.

“He is a player with that history and charisma,” Ballack told Sky Sports. “He’s such a Chelsea boy and they love him there.

“I know what it means if your career comes to an end and you’re getting older. You don’t know whether you extend your contract, play for another club or go abroad to America.

“I’m sure he has some options but if you think long-term, you have to feel comfortable with the decision.

“If you don’t feel comfortable with what you want to do then don’t do it. That’s what I can advise.

“It’s not always easy to make a decision because you must be 100 per cent convinced. He can’t really make a lot of mistakes with that career so he should be happy and calm.”

Callum Wilson is confident he will return a much stronger person and player as he continues his rehab from a second serious knee injury.

Wilson injured his cruciate ligaments in February for the second time in his career and the Bournemouth front man now faces another extended spell on the sidelines.

But having flown out to Dubai for the Cherries’ training camp, Wilson is confident the experience of his first knee injury – sustained in September 2015 – will stand him in good stead when he returns to action next season.

“It’s going well,” said Wilson of his progress. “I’m six weeks post-op now and I feel like I’m ahead of where I was last time in terms of moving and gym work – it’s probably down to having the experience of the injury before.

“My head’s in a good place and I think my injury recovery’s going well.

“It’s easier going through it a second time because out of that bad situation you’ve got that experience of how to get through it how to get back fit and strong again.

“I feel like when I returned last time I wasn’t back to my best at all for a while so this time there have been things I’ve changed.

“One thing I have changed from last time is that before I isolated myself and that didn’t really help, it just got me down more.

“This time I’m staying around the lads more and trying to feel a part of it, even though you know you can’t train with them.

“I’ve matured from the last time so now instead of being envious I’m embracing the others and trying to be a part of it, knowing I’ll be back out there soon.”

Yaya Toure has hailed Manchester City’s attacking style under Pep Guardiola as the best system for the team.

The Blues have netted 95 goals in all competitions this season, and currently sit third in the Premier League, five points ahead of Manchester United in fifth having played a game more.

Toure feels City’s attacking style under Guardiola suits him perfectly.

“We all want to play like this,” he said. “Myself, I don’t want to be in a defensive team.

“Defending is something difficult. As a player who likes football, it is annoying to defend all the time.

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“The style we play now is the best style.

“Of course, we try to do our best, we always have chances to score, clear chances.

“We missed them against Liverpool, but sometimes you have to accept that because we’ve been playing a lot of games this month, every three days, and maybe this cost us a little bit.”

Toure retired from international football in September 2016, and will use his time off to recover and prepare for the final run-in of the season.

He said: “We have to prepare now for the next game.

“I will breathe, sleep, run a little bit, be good – because Arsenal and Chelsea are massive games and we have an opportunity if we want to finish in the top four.

“What we have to do when we come back is get these six points and try to do our best because we know it’s going to be tough.”

Swansea City legend Lee Trundle believes the international break can provide some welcome respite for the Swans players.

Since Paul Clement took the reins in January, Swansea have won five and lost five in the Premier League, and have dragged themselves out of the relegation zone.

However, they have lost three of the previous four clashes, including the last two against relegation rivals Hull City and Bournemouth.

They take on another struggling side, Middlesbrough, at the Liberty Stadium on April 2, and Trundle – who notched 78 league goals in 146 appearances for the Swans – is confident Clement’s side can come back refreshed from two weeks away from Premier League action.

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“We always talk a lot about whether international breaks come at a good time or a bad time for sides, but I think for Swansea City it would fall into the first category,” Trundle said.

“Every game at this stage of the season has huge pressure attached to it and, on the back of the defeats to Hull and Bournemouth, that would only have ramped up had we been going straight into the Middlesbrough game this weekend.

“Instead, everyone gets a chance to draw breath, just take stock of where they are and then refocus ahead of what is going to be a huge fixture for both teams.

“The games come thick and fast at this level and the chance just for a moment of relaxation, just to have that pressure lift for a few days, whether that be through being on international duty or through having a few days with friends and family, can be a blessing.”

Ben Gibson admits he will miss former manager Aitor Karanka but has urged the Middlesbrough squad to get behind new boss Steve Agnew.

Karanka left Boro after four years in charge last week and his assistant head coach Agnew has now taken over as caretaker manager.

Gibson established himself at the heart of the defence under the Spaniard and earned his first call-up into the senior England squad this week.

But with Boro in the midst of a scrap for Premier League survival – they currently lie 19^th, five points from safety – the centre-back knows his side must quickly back the new man.

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“Aitor came in when I was just starting to get into the first-team squad,” said Gibson. “I learned a lot and played a lot of football under him.

“He definitely had a positive impact on me and on a lot of the others lads’ careers so I have to thank him for that.

“But Steve Agnew’s the man in charge now and we have to pull together to get out of this relegation scrap.

“It was a tough week but that’s football. We all know that there are changes and we have to get behind Steve Agnew.

“I’ve known him for a long time – he’s a fantastic coach and a great person. Steve’s a fighter and a good, honest man.

“He’s played a big part in my development over the years and the lads are looking forward to working with him in this new role he’s got.”

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman has backed Seamus Coleman to return an even better player after he suffered a broken leg whilst on international duty.

Ireland captain Coleman suffered the injury during a tackle from Wales’ Neil Taylor in Friday night’s 0-0 draw in their World Cup Qualifier.

The 28-year-old left the field on a stretcher, after receiving oxygen, and is expected to have surgery in Dublin during the weekend.

Osman said: “I’m absolutely gutted for him. I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery. Knowing him, though, he’ll come back better, fitter and stronger. That’s the type of character he is.

“He was playing for Sligo Rovers in the Irish league when he was 20 so he’s got a real appreciation for the game. He’s a real nice, genuine lad – he doesn’t carry any of the arrogance a lot of footballers have.”

Osman spent seven seasons playing alongside Coleman, and believes the right back has the mentality to bounce back quickly.

(Photo by Andrew Surma/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

He added: “I’ve got all the time in the world for him. He’s one of the genuine nice guys in football. It’s upsetting it’s happened to any player, never mind such a top guy in Seamus.

“Seamus is the type of guy who will be devastated but he’ll work his socks off to get back as quick as he can.

“Watching the game, the moment it happened, Evertonians were devastated to lose such an influential character – he’s a future captain of Everton Football Club. It’s a big loss and everyone felt it.”

Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare is refusing to get ahead of himself after being nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for March.

The Foxes are unbeaten under Shakespeare, since he took over from sacked Claudio Ranieri, with wins over Liverpool, Hull City and West Ham United.

In between those wins, his side secured a 2-0 success over Sevilla which saw them set up a Champions League quarter-final with Atletico Madrid.

But Shakespeare admitted he was finding it a challenge coping with the added pressure of management after stepping up from his coaching role within the club.

“I’m finding that side of things different if I’m being honest,” he said. “As a manager at times you need to show passion and show players they’re not doing it.

“I understand all that but generally I am what I am and I tried to remain calm on the touchline.

“Being unbeaten with a 100 per cent record is not something I think too much about.

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“If you get carried away too much you lose focus on the here and now – and the here and now is what football is all about.

“When it comes to tactics you are in a no-win situation. When you make the right call, everyone would have made it.

“If you make the wrong one, everyone will tell you about it. You’ve just got to do what you think is right.”

Manager Mark Hughes has hinted that veterans Glen Johnson, Phil Bardsley and Charlie Adam’s time at Stoke City could be coming to an end.

The trio are all at least 31 years old, with Johnson 32, and their contracts expire at the end of the current Premier League season.

They are part of an aging Stoke squad that also includes 36-year-old Peter Crouch, the striker signing a new contract with the club in January.

But Johnson, Bardsley and Adam might not be so lucky, with Hughes admitting that he is looking to bring the average age of his squad down next season.

Hughes said: “We’ve talked with most of them. With Glen it’s down to game time and he could trigger an option himself by playing, so that’s still on track.

“Phil we’ve had discussions with, and Charlie has obviously intimated he would like to stay.

“You’ve got get the balance right in terms of the make-up of the group. Those guys are good characters as well and you don’t want to lose too many of that type.

“But we can’t carry everybody. We’ve got a group of predominantly senior players and that’s OK, but when everybody is fit and well it becomes more difficult to keep everybody happy.

“So we will be carrying less senior players next year and see where that takes us.”

West Brom boss Tony Pulis has led the tributes to Jonas Olsson following the defender’s decision to leave Albion and return to his native Sweden.

The 34-year-old would have been out of contract this summer, but the club agreed to cancel his deal early so that he can join up with Djurgårdens IF in preparation for the start of the Swedish season in April.

The Baggies head coach said he spoke with the former Swedish international after confirming the end of his nine-year stay at The Hawthorns, and hailed him as a model professional.

Olsson joined the Baggies in 2008 and has played for the club 262 times, scoring 14 goals. He scored once in 25 appearances for the Swedish national team.

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And Pulis, who has engineered a successful season in the West Midlands with West Brom eighth in the Premier League, wished the towering defender all the best.

He said: “I wanted to wish Jonas the best of luck as he starts a new phase in his career and a new step in his life.

“I thanked him for his loyalty and effort on my watch. He is a super competitor and terrific professional.

“He will always be looked on with great respect by everyone at West Bromwich Albion and he will always be welcomed back here while I’m in charge.”

Cheikhou Kouyaté says he does not understand why West Ham United team-mate Andy Carroll has not been called up for England.

Kouyaté has swapped claret and blue for the white and green of Senegal during the international break, drawing 1-1 in a friendly against Nigeria.

And the midfielder was at a loss to explain why Carroll did not make Gareth Southgate’s squad after his efforts for his club this season.

“For me, I don’t understand why England don’t call Andy because he has scored a lot of goals, but that is down to the manager,” said Kouyaté.

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“Maybe he will be called in the next international break.”

Despite Carroll’s goal-scoring, the Hammers went five games without a win in the Premier league before the break, losing 3-2 to Leicester City at home last Saturday.

West Ham now sit at 12^th in the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone, and will be eager for a win against Hull City on April 1 to put further daylight between themselves and the drop zone.

For Kouyaté, a win at the KCOM Stadium would be a turning point in his side’s season – something he sees as crucial.

“We played five games and if you don’t win every time then you think, ‘this is no good, this is no good,’” he said.

“If we win one game, everything will come and confidence will come, so if we win then that is good.”