Chelsea have suffered a major setback ahead of the new 2021/22 English Premier League, EPL, season, which starts in August.
The Blues’ boss, Thomas Tuchel, has confirmed that defender Thiago Silva is unlikely to be fit for the start of Chelsea’s new campaign because he will return late for pre-season after representing his country at the recently concluded Copa America 2021.
Silva featured five times for Brazil at the Copa America this summer on their run to the final, despite suffering a groin injury.
Tuchel reveals Chelsea’s biggest season setback
He is now expected to miss Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on August 14.
“I’m always happy if Thiago [Silva] goes for a holiday and comes back with us for pre-season because at his age, he needs a certain amount of training to play in an intense league like the Premier League,” Tuchel told the club’s website.
“So now we’ll have a bit of a delay in his personal season when he comes back late from the Copa [America].
“I was a bit sad when they couldn’t win at home against Argentina, but I hope it’s not too big a setback. He won it last time and he was a big part of it again, and of course, he played a fantastic role in our half a year and hopefully, he can conserve the spirit and the quality and the level of fitness.”
