Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has hinted Thiago Silva could make his debut in the Blues’ League Cup game against Barnsley this week.
The 35-year-old defender is yet to play for the club since completing a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Silva watched on as Chelsea fell to a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the Bridge on Sunday and he’s been working hard on regaining full fitness after a gruelling campaign in France.
Andreas Christensen was sent off in the defeat against Jurgen Klopp’s side and will now serve a three-match ban. Lampard had planned on making a couple of changes regardless of the Danish centre-back’s situation but he says the Brazilian could play against Barnsley.
When asked if new signings like Ben Chilwell and Hakim Ziyech could play, Lampard said Thiago was the only one capable of featuring in the game: ‘Too soon probably in terms of fitness wise.
‘We’ll see with Thiago because Thiago’s not coming back off an injury, he’s just getting fit. ‘The others it seems too soon, but they are not far away.’
Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are the only new signings that have made their Chelsea debuts so far this campaign.
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And It’s been a summer of change at the club, with six arrivals so far and Edouard Mendy is set to join the blues to make it seven.
Silva had other offers across the world but he says he was won over by the project at Chelsea: ‘First and foremost, I came because Chelsea is an amazing team and one of the biggest clubs in the world.
‘It helps when you’re welcomed so warmly, particularly by a coach who played until relatively recently, because in football there are very strong preconceptions regarding the age of players.
‘But I know about his experience when he first arrived at Manchester City, theoretically at the end of his career. He endured the same sort of thing as I’ve gone through.’
