Chelsea have confirmed that Brazilian defender Thiago Silva suffered knee ligament damage during the 2-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend.

Silva, who is 38 years old, had to leave the field when the Blues lost in the first half.

Chelsea hasn’t said how long the former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan defender will be out, but his absence is another setback for manager Graham Potter, who is already under pressure because the club has only won two of its last 15 games in all competitions.

“Scan results 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,” the club said in a statement.

Silva has only missed three Premier League games for Chelsea so far this season.

Since a group led by American Todd Boehly took over the 2021 European champions, they have spent half a billion pounds on new players. They have signed center-backs Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and Benoit Badiashile from Monaco.

Photo by EPA/Isabel Infantes