As Graham Potter prepares plans to console another returning Chelsea player after the World Cup, he can take a small boost from the return of Thiago Silva. The 38-year-old played 390 minutes for Brazil at the World Cup but will now have to relatively quickly turn his attentions back to club football.
Chelsea are in domestic action again on December 27, but face Aston Villa on Sunday in a mid-season friendly. Silva, along with other World Cup participants that have crashed out, won't be with their teammates until the end of the warm weather camp, but will have to get over major tournament disappointment.
Silva, as with Kai Havertz and Cesar Azpilicueta, will have to deal with the shock of exiting the competition earlier than expected, but in a boost for Potter, they will have time off to recover. Heading into the quarter-finals Chelsea players had played more minutes than every team other than Manchester City in the Premier League.
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Given the already convoluted nature of the season, this does factor into how the Blues will pick up clun football once more when the action returns. With Chelsea already in a tough spot, eighth in the league, they don't have too much margin for error.
Silva has already played more than his previous two seasons at Stamford Bridge by this point in the campaign and showed signs of fatigue and fitness issues as Potter's side slumped to the break. There are already plans for a new centre-back to come in next summer, with Croatia star Josko Gvardiol at the top of that list.
The 20-year-old has been one of the top performers at the tournament but has also attracted the attention of Real Madrid with such high-profile performances. Outside of Gvardiol, Chelsea are looking for contingency in the defensive areas with Silva's deal expiring at the end of the season, though a rolling offer appears to remain on the table should he wish to remain at SW6.
In order to combat this situation Todd Boehly has looked to last year's Champions League semi finalists for inspiration. Villarreal impressed everyone under Unai Emery and made the most of a squad filled with former Premier League players. Francis Coquelin joined Arnaut Danjuma, Alberto Moreno, Serge Aurier and Giovani Lo Celso to the last four in Europe, but it was another former Tottenham man that could hold the answers for Chelsea.
AS report that Juan Foyth is liked by Barcelona, who couldn't get a deal for Azpilicueta over the line in the summer. The Catalan club could face competition from Chelsea though, with Fichajes writing that Manchester United and the Blues are also keen on signing the Argentine.
Foyth joined Tottenham in 2020 but failed to assert himself in England, leaving to Villarreal on loan before making the move permanent. As a left-footed centre-back he has since made a new story for himself, attracting the attention of some of the biggest clubs.
The 24-year-old has only played four times this season due to injury, but impressed last season. With a reported price tag of £42m, it would be a lofty outlay for a player that has struggled in the league before, but if Chelsea want to find a solution to their Silva shaped hole, that could be the price for depth.
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