Chelsea are facing another injury crisis after Graham Potter was left with a defensive dilemma ahead of their Champions League last-16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund. As well as facing calls to be sacked by the board, Potter may have to prepare for their crunch encounter without Thiago Silva, who is a major doubt for the clash after sustaining an injury against Tottenham.
The Brazilian had demonstrated his importance to the team with a crucial intervention to deny Harry Kane moving in on goal, but it came at a heavy price after the collision left the centre-back in pain on the floor.
The 38-year-old tried to continue for a few minutes after the challenge but laid down on the ground as it became clear he could not continue, and Chelsea were forced to do without their captain as he was brought off with 38 minutes on the clock to be replaced by Fofana.
According to The Times, the defender will ‘be sidelined for at least a week’ following his injury. And that will throw a spanner in the works for Chelsea, who face Dortmund on March 7 at Stamford Bridge.
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Silva will be facing a race against time to prove his fitness as Benoit Badiashile is not registered for the competition, meaning Potter only has Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah left to partner Kalidou Koulibaly at the back. And judging by what happened in the second half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without Silva, he will be hoping for a speedy recovery.
Things soon went downhill for the Blues after conceding just 23 seconds after the restart, with Oliver Skipp’s long-range effort getting the better of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Harry Kane added a second late on to make sure of the points and condemn Potter’s side to another defeat in the Premier League.
Silva was spotted by journalists after the game walking through the media zone with no sign of a heavy limp or brace, indicating that the injury may not be serious as first thought.
Potter said after the game he had no initial news on the extent of the injury: “Hopefully it’s not too serious but I haven’t spoken to the doctor enough to have a diagnosis yet,” he told the club’s official website.
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It represents another blow for the under-pressure Chelsea boss who is in desperate need of some positive results after a run of two wins from 16 games in all competitions. And Silva’s absence is only to increase the heat on Potter as he is forced to do without his top defender and leader for one of their biggest matches of the season.
Failure to progress in the Champions League could mean Chelsea go without European competition for only the second time since 2004. And they have it all to do with a 1-0 deficit to overturn from the first leg after Karim Adeyemi’s solo strike.
However, the slender advantage may not be enough to deny Chelsea, who boast an impressive home record in European competition, and Potter will be desperate to claim a much-needed win to get the fans back on his side.
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