CHELSEA captain John Terry has denied racially abusing Anton Ferdinand and will stand trial for the offence, a court heard on Wednesday.

Terry did not attend the short hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, but his barrister George Carter-Stephenson QC, entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Terry, 31, is accused of a racially-aggravated public order offence over video footage which appears to show him shout an offensive comment at Queens Park Rangers defender Ferdinand during a Premier League match in October.

The date of the trial has now been set for July 9, after the end of Euro 2012 and before the start of the 2012/13 Premier League season.

England international Terry insisted he would fight to prove his innocence when the Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges before Christmas.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has continued to give his support to Terry and stated that the player would be allowed time off if required during his court case.

Terry has faced jeers and taunts since the game in October, never more so than during his return to Loftus Road in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie, four days before his court case was due to begin.