Chelsea's upcoming UEFA Champions League showdown with Dortmund could make or break their season. Unfortunately for the London giants, they will enter that 2nd leg round of 16 tie without one of their best players.
That man is none other than Thiago Silva, one of only a handful of players who have been performing well at Stamford Bridge this campaign. The center-back picked up a gut-blowing injury in Chelsea's weekend defeat to Tottenham, with the Brazilian ace being forced off early as a result.
Wesley Fofana replaced the former PSG ace and while the young Frenchman performed admirably, Silva remains one of the best center-backs in the Premier League, which means his absence could prove costly for Graham Potter's side.
The English giants confirmed the extent of Thiago's injury, revealing in an official statement that the 38-year-old suffered damage to his knee ligament. Silva will now enter rehabilitation in order to return to the pitch as promptly as possible.
"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 center on Monday," the statement read.
"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."
While no official timeframe was given by the club, the player is expected to be out for up to six weeks. This means that he will miss the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash with Dortmund, scheduled for March 7.
Fofana and Koulibaly are back fit and will offer cover in the Brazilian's absence, but this is another major blow in what has been a catastrophic season for the English giants.
The Blues currently sit 10th in the table, having lost 2-0 away to Tottenham over the weekend, which leaves them with only two wins from their last 15 Premier League games.
Next up for Potter's side is a home clash with Leeds. Sterling and Co. are currently level on points with Aston Villa and could drop out of the top 10 should they fail to beat the relegation-battling side.
