3 Chelsea players who could take up the captain's armband in Thiago Silva's absence
Chelsea were handed a huge injury blow during their 2-0 loss against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend (26 February).
Veteran defender Thiago Silva picked up what looked like a knee injury after colliding with Spurs striker Reece James in the first half of the encounter.
The 38-year-old centre-back was immediately subbed off for Wesley Fofana, who came on to pair with Kalidou Koulibaly in defense for the Blues.
Meanwhile, it has now been reported by Chelsea that Silva will be out for close to six weeks due to the injury he picked up.
#CFC
Chelsea statement on Thiago Silva has confirmed that “he has sustained a knee injury, underwent further assessment and scan confirmed damage to Thiago’s knee ligaments”. 🚨🔵🇧🇷 #CFC
Thiago Silva will be out for almost 5/6 weeks, he’ll try to return as soon as possible. https://t.co/2X1HpoTTKS
His absence will come as a big blow to Graham Potter, as the Brazilian is an influential part of the Blues' first team.
Aside from his defensive contributions, Silva will also be missed for his leadership role in the team. The Brazilian has been saddled with the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband at Chelsea in recent games.
Recall that since the departure of former vice-captain Jorginho to Arsenal last month, there has been a vacancy in the leadership hierarchy at the club.
As such, there could be a big decision for Potter to make as to who will lead the Blues in subsequent games. More so, considering the bit-part role being handed to club captain Cesar Azpilicueta this season.
This article will take a look at three players who could step up and wear the armband for the Blues in Silva's absence.
#1 Kepa Arrizabalaga
The Spanish shot-stopper could be an ideal candidate to lead the Blues in subsequent games this season in the absence of Silva.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has shown himself to be a very vocal player on the pitch and could have the needed quality to wear the captain's armband.
Kepa has shown more leadership character than Reece James.
We have all seen several times during games delivering instruction to his teammates on and off the pitch, and most of the time they listened to him. Chelsea's goalie deserves to be the club's future captain. https://t.co/bqG3lU0820
He has also been at Chelsea for quite some time and thus qualifies as an experienced face in the dressing room. Recall that he has been with the Blues since 2018 after securing a move from Atletico Bilbao.
The 28-year-old shot-stopper has since reclaimed his no. 1 position for the Blues this season. He has made 23 appearances across competitions, keeping nine clean sheets in the process.
#2 Mateo Kovacic
Another experienced player in the Chelsea squad who could be considered to take up the armband in Silva's absence is Mateo Kovacic.
The Croatian midfielder is among the few guaranteed starters at the club, especially when fit and could be an ideal option to lead the team.
Recall that he has already captained the Blues during their 5-1 victory against Chesterfield in the FA Cup last season.
#3 Reece James
The highly-rated English right-back is among the few names who have been touted to become Chelsea's next club captain.
Recall that James had already taken up such a role during his academy days at Cobham as he was captain of the Blues under-18 team. He also wore the captain's armband once during his loan spell at Wigan.
The 22-year-old defender could be the man to lead the Blues in subsequent games in Silva's absence. He took up the armband after the Brazilian defender was taken off due to an injury against Spurs.