 Will Terry be wearing the England armband this summer in South Africa?
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Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe wants talks with the Football Association over the suitability of Chelsea's John Terry as England captain.
The defender is under scrutiny after an alleged affair with the ex-girlfriend of former team-mate Wayne Bridge.
Terry has been backed by his club but pressure is growing for England manager Fabio Capello to appoint a new skipper.
"If these allegations are proven, it calls into question his role as England captain," Sutcliffe said.
Despite ongoing newspaper revelations about Terry's private life over the weekend, the 29-year-old has been assured by Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti that he will remain club captain.
However, there are are increasing concerns over Terry being skipper of the national team with England little more than four months away from starting their World Cup campaign against United States on 13 June.
England have a home friendly with Egypt on 3 March as part of their World Cup preparations, and with the Euro 2012 qualification draw taking place on Sunday in Warsaw, Capello is likely to reveal his feelings over the next few days.
And although the FA has so far declined to comment on the situation, Sutcliffe said he will be meeting with the governing body to request an explanation.
"On the field John Terry is a fantastic player and a good England captain, but to be the captain of England you have got to have wider responsibilities for the country," Sutcliffe insisted.
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"I speak to the FA on a regular basis, so I will be asking what their viewpoint is and we will see what comes of it."
However, former FA chief executive David Davies told BBC Radio 5 live's Breakfast that he believed the Italian, widely regarded as a strict disciplinarian, should be the one to decide on Terry's future in an England shirt.
"In this situation, as perhaps never before, Capello is the FA and he has to take the decision," Davies said. "I think he is absolutely the right person to be asked to take that decision."
After Terry's goal helped Premier League leaders Chelsea overcome Burnley 2-1 on Saturday, Blues boss Ancelotti insisted the centre-half had the full support of his club colleagues.
The pressure on Terry increased over the weekend with extensive coverage in the Sunday newspapers about his alleged relationship with model Vanessa Perroncel.
Bridge, 29, who has separated from Perroncel and now plays for Manchester City, said he would not comment on the reports for the sake of the couple's son.
Terry is set go to the World Cup in South Africa as captain, while Bridge, who has not played since December because of injury, is also likely to be selected in Capello's squad as understudy to another former Chelsea team-mate, Ashley Cole.
Speaking on BBC's Match of the Day 2, former England defender Lee Dixon thinks England should have a new skipper with the tournament just four months away.
Terry captaincy in doubt - Lawrenson
"I think John Terry should do the honourable thing and maybe resign as captain of England and take it out of Capello's hands," said Dixon.
"What happens when the England squad is announced? Is Bridge going to be in the squad, he's already said he doesn't want to be in the squad with John Terry, so I think Capello's got a bit of time to think about it and then make a decision."
Terry won a gagging order last week preventing the public learning about an alleged affair, but the injunction was lifted by the High Court on Friday.
National newspapers named the father-of-two, who is married to Toni Poole, in their Saturday editions as having a relationship with Perroncel.
And there were further revelations about the alleged affair in Sunday's national newspapers.
Manchester City players Carlos Tevez, Nigel de Jong and Stephen Ireland wore T-shirts with the words "Team Bridge" in support of their team-mate during their 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Sunday.
Former England captain Alan Shearer described Terry as a "fantastic leader" and said: "We do not know all the facts, so it would be wrong to suggest anything. What I do know is that John Terry is a fantastic leader and a very good footballer.
"I do not know him as a person - I have just played against him. Only John Terry and Fabio Capello will be able to tell in the coming weeks if it (the allegations) affects the captaincy."
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