Chelsea will take internal action against John Terry after The Blues captain decided to not appeal his four-match ban and £220,000 fine for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

The former England skipper was found to have submitted 'improbable, implausible and contrived' evidence during his hearing in front of The Football Association panel and will now miss this weekend's London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

Terry, who has made a public apology following his declaration to not challenge the charge, will also be absent for the Premier League and League Cup games against Manchester United, thereby avoiding a meeting with Anton's brother Rio, while also missing the match with Swansea City.

John Terry and Anton Ferdinand
Terry has accepted his four-match ban and £220,000 fine.

A Stamford Bridge statement read: "Chelsea Football Club believes John Terry has made the correct decision by not appealing against the FA judgment relating to language he used at the QPR match last October.

"Chelsea also appreciates, and supports, John's full apology for the language he used. The club firmly believes such language is not acceptable and fell below the standards expected of John as a Chelsea player.

"The Board has conducted its own investigation into the matter, and considered the various issues involved. The Board has taken further disciplinary action in addition to the four-match suspension and £220,000 fine imposed by the FA. In accordance with our long-standing policy, that disciplinary action will remain confidential.

"Chelsea enjoys support all over the world. We have players and supporters from many different countries and cultures and our club is committed to eradicating all forms of discriminatory behaviour. John is fully committed to continue supporting that ongoing work."

Terry's statement read: "After careful consideration, I have decided not to appeal against the FA judgment.

"I want to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone for the language I used in the game against Queens Park Rangers last October.

"Although I'm disappointed with the FA judgment, I accept that the language I used, regardless of the context, is not acceptable on the football field or indeed in any walk of life.

"As I stated in the criminal case, with the benefit of hindsight my language was clearly not an appropriate reaction to the situation for someone in my position.

"My response was below the level expected by Chelsea Football Club, and by me, and it will not happen again.

"Looking forward, I will continue to do my part in assisting the club to remove all types of discriminatory behaviour from football.

"I am extremely grateful for the consistent support of Chelsea FC, the fans and my family."

The 31-year-old was found not guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court in July of a racially aggravated assault against Ferdinand, but was found guilty by The FA's independent commission, who require a burden of proof significantly lower than that of the courts.

Prior to the hearing last month, Terry announced his retirement from international football after claiming The FA's decision to bring charges against him left his position 'untenable'.

He becomes the second Premier League player to accept a charge of racial abuse in the last year, after Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches after being found to have directed a racial slur at Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

The acceptance of the ban brings an end to an incident which has been allowed to run for over a year and has cast a shadow over the image of English football.

Manchester United FC London