Chelsea star Thiago Silva looks set to be out for a couple of weeks after the club confirmed the veteran defender damaged knee ligaments in the defeat to Tottenham. Silva went down in the first 15 minutes holding his left knee after a firm collision with Harry Kane and despite trying to continue, he was replaced by Wesley Fofana just a few minutes later.
Being mindful of his long-term fitness, Silva was left out of the matchday squad for the defeat to Southampton and subsequently recalled for the London derby the following week. In hindsight, this decision now does not look smart, with Silva sure to be out of the decisive Champions League second leg against Borussia Dortmund.
Luckily, the Blues have a wealth of options available to replace the 38-year-old. Fofana was his direct replacement, while Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah, who was left out of the squad to face Spurs, will also be chomping at the bit to get back into the team.
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The decision to replace Silva with Fofana hints at the centre-back pecking order with a surprising slot for Badiashile. Despite keeping four clean sheets alongside Silva, before he was forced to miss the Dortmund game as he was not one of three new signings listed in Chelsea's Champions League knockout stage squad, he now looks to be fourth-choice.
Koulibaly impressed in his place at Dortmund but three days later struggled against Southampton and was hooked off at half time. Injuries and form have seen all of Chelsea's options in the centre of defence go both up and down in the thoughts of Potter, however Silva, minus his absence from the Southampton clash, appears to be undroppable.
Therefore his injury presents a glaring issue for Potter and his staff, but if the same were to happen next season, he will not have the same concerns he likely has now. Levi Colwill, who is currently on loan at Brighton, looks set to be his long-term successor after impressing in the Premier League for the Seagulls this season before suffering an injury in January which he is yet to recover from.
As a sign of his value to the club, Chelsea are preparing to offer him a new contract, according to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph. His current deal expires in 2025, but the Blues are ready to extend those terms and welcome him back to Stamford Bridge to initially compete with Badiashile and perhaps eventually be the man to replace Silva at the heart of the Chelsea defence.
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