BBC pundit Alan Hutton has shared his thoughts on the recent injury blow Chelsea suffered to defender Thiago Silva.
After being forced off the pitch in the first half of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, it was revealed that a knee injury will keep the centre-back side-lined for six weeks.
The west London club had the best possible reaction to losing the Brazilian, as they not only kept a clean sheet against Leeds United, but they also saw Wesley Fofana, who replaced Silva against Spurs, scored the winner in the 1-0 victory.
However, one pundit thinks the Blues will still miss Silva and his presence on the field.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton had this to say about the defender and his absence.
He said: “They have got cover, they just bought [Benoit] Badiashile, [Kalidou] Koulibaly is still there. They have got cover there is no doubt about that but I think when Thiago Silva is not there they are not the same team.
“He has got that experience, his age does not matter because he has never had to rely on being lightning quick.
“He is so intelligent, he knows how to play the game. So to miss him for such a long period of time, when there is so much pressure within the team, is going to be difficult.”
This season has seen the 38-year-old play more minutes in the league than any other Chelsea player, which shows how important and reliable he has been for the club.
With that, the Brazilian has the highest passing accuracy percentage (90.3%) out of any Chelsea figure that began the season with the Blues, as well as having the second-highest total of passes into the final third of the pitch (90).
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Then in terms of his defensive endeavours, Silva tops Chelsea’s list for the number of clearances (91), interceptions (29) and blocks (30).
This backs up what Hutton thinks the veteran will be a big miss for Graham Potter’s side, despite their win over Leeds.
Although, with the Stamford Bridge outfit taking on Borussia Dortmund, who have scored 47 goals in 23 Bundesliga games this season, in their second-leg Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, this will definitely be a game where Silva’s presence, experience and talent would have been vital for the Blues.