Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is set for a spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury he picked up in their 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the London Derby last Sunday.
Although there is no timeframe for the length of the injury, the club fears the Brazilian has damaged his medial cruciate ligament after undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan, which potentially keeps him off the pitch at least until April, providing a fresh blow to an already underperforming Graham Potter’s side.
Chelsea provided an update on the 38-year-old’s injury though a statement on their official website.
“Having sustained a knee injury during the first half of Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, Thiago underwent further assessment and a scan on his return to the training centre on Monday.”
“Scan results from those assessments have confirmed damage to Thiago’s knee ligaments and he will now work closely with the club’s medical department during his rehabilitation to return to action as soon as possible.”
An update on Thiago Silva. ⤵️
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 28, 2023
Silva led out the team after club skipper Cesar Azpilicueta was subbed off with a nasty head injury against Southampton in their previous league outing. Unfortunately, he only lasted 19 minutes before being substituted for Wesley Fofana.
The news is a huge blow as the Blues face Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday, March 4, before entertaining Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Champions League round of 16 second-leg tie. They are currently 1-0 behind on aggregate against their German counterparts.
Chelsea are without a win in their last six matches in all competitions and they have conceded five goals in that period. This puts head coach Potter under more scrutiny after an extravagant January transfer window that saw him bring in the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile.
