Chelsea have been handed a huge blow as Thiago Silva had to be brought off early in the first half against Tottenham with an injury concern. The Brazilian made a last ditch effort to stop Harry Kane's bursting run into the box, taking a knock to his knee in the process.
Silva stayed down for a few minutes as he took some treatment from the medical staff, grimacing and walking gingerly off the pitch before making his return. Unfortunately for the Blues, the veteran defender couldn't continue, coming back on before he went to ground once again.
Summer signing Wesley Fofana was drafted in for him before the 20-minute mark, having a huge task in getting up to speed after some injury concerns of his own. Graham Potter will be hopeful that Silva won't be out of action for too long, given the importance of the next few fixtures.
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While he will be missing for the rest of the Tottenham game, which is a blow in itself, the upcoming Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund is a huge game on the horizon. The Blues are trailing 1-0 after the first leg of the round of 16, but the home tie at Stamford Bridge offers hope of a turnaround.
However, if the side return to their concerns over injuries that have plagued them over the past few weeks, there may be further concerns. Potter has had to deal with a whole host of absences since taking charge, with as many as 11 first-team players out at one time.
That has since eased within the squad, but given the impact of Silva in the backline with his experience and quality, a lengthy injury will be a worry. His quality was underlined earlier this season when Potter praised him following a draw with Liverpool, telling BT Sport: "He's helping Benoit [Badiashile], that's his second game in the Premier League, I thought he did really well.
"But to have Thiago Silva alongside him is a big help. I'm delighted with his form, he's an important player for us, a leader in the team, leader in the group, he looks like he's enjoying his football."
The manager is likely to answer questions on the severity of the injury after the clash as it remains to be seen how serious the problem could be.
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