How long is Thiago Silva out for? Latest injury update on star Chelsea defender
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter received a timely boost as his side secured a 1-0 home win in the Premier League against relegated Leeds United.
Ahead of the high-stakes clash at Stamford Bridge, the Blues had won just one of their nine previous Premier League games since early 2023, with the pressure on Potter continuing to mount.
Despite easing three points off Javi Gracia’s visitor, Potter is still struggling against a growing injury list, with Thiago Silva one of the last to be ruled out.
The Brazilian veteran has been a mainstay in Chelsea’s defense this season and his absence will be painfully felt in a Blues squad still bracing for a spate of January signings.
MORE: Will Chelsea sack Graham Potter?
How long will Thiago Silva be out?
Silva was sent off just 19 minutes after Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham on February 26, with the 38-year-old immediately signaling on the bench with a knee injury.
Chelsea initially confirmed the former Paris Saint-Germain centre-back suffered knee ligament damage but did not specify the severity of the injury and further medical tests are scheduled for next week.
On March 3, the club said Potter expects the defender to be out for around six weeks.
How bad is Thiago Silva’s injury?
A knee ligament injury often signals a serious injury that can require months of rehabilitation. A severe ACL strain or tear has proven to be a season-ending injury on many occasions.
Although Chelsea have confirmed a ligament problem, they have not indicated that Silva’s campaign is over. Reports from Sky Sports suggest an absence of 4-6 weeks if his recovery is positive. That would line up with Chelsea’s estimate of around a month and a half of rehabilitation time.
Silva was not called up for Brazil this month – after confirming his intention to continue playing internationally after the 2022 World Cup – and Chelsea will be working on his injury during the break from domestic football.
MORE: Champions League round of 16 schedule, dates and times
When will Thiago Silva return from injury?
According to initial estimates, Silva will not be used again before returning to the Premier League after the international break. Chelsea’s first league game after the international window is at home to Aston Villa on April 1.
Much will depend on the speed of his recovery, but the former AC Milan defender is likely to miss the three remaining games in March: the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund, followed by league games against Leicester City and Everton.
A comeback against Villa would be an optimistic prediction, and it also seems unlikely he’ll be ready to face Liverpool on April 4, but Chelsea will be confident of bringing him back by mid-April at the latest, just in time for a potential Champions League quarter-finals , if they can defeat Dortmund.