John Terry is ready to accept his four-game FA ban and try to draw a line under the saga.
While the Chelsea skipper privately insists he was not served justice by the Independent Regulatory Commission which found he had racially abused Anton Ferdinand, it appears he is ready to take his punishment rather than appeal and drag the matter out.
Terry has until Friday of next week to decide whether to lodge an appeal or to start serving the suspension.
It is understood he has been persuaded that he risks extending a fight he cannot win, and will announce in the next few days that there will be no appeal.
That would see the centre-half's ban begin with Chelsea's visit to Tottenham on October 20 and include the back to back home games against Manchester United in the Premier League and Capital One Cup.
As Terry was coming to his decision, club-mate Ashley Cole appeared to have ended the threat to his own England future by making a face-to-face apology to FA chairman David Bernstein over his abusive tweet.
Bernstein said that Cole had shown "genuine remorse" and been "contrite".
Cole is still likely to be overlooked by England boss Roy Hodgson for Friday's game with San Marino, but is expected to be back in the side - and earn his 99th cap - in Poland next Tuesday.
Hodgson said: "When I make a decision for San Marino, there'll be some disappointed people even if they do accept I may need some fresh people to play against Poland, which is a more tricky game. Arguably, anyone I pick from this squad should be enough to win against San Marino.
"The chairman has gracefully accepted the apology from Ashley. I know how disappointed and saddened he is with the situation.
"For me, the important thing was that the matter got resolved between the FA and Ashley, the man who made the mistake. He's made it very clear he regrets it.
"It was an attack aimed at the organisation represented by the chairman. I was always hoping he and the chairman would sort it out between them and I wouldn't have to make a decision of that magnitude.
"It has been."