Chelsea are reportedly fearful that Thiago Silva will not be fit for next week's Champions League fixture against Borussia Dortmund.
With the Blues increasingly unlikely to qualify for next season's competition through the Premier League, they need to lift the trophy for the second time in three years to guarantee their spot.
Despite having the better of the first leg against Dortmund in Germany, Chelsea returned to West London trailing 1-0 on aggregate.
While Graham Potter has a bloated squad at his disposal, the Englishman ideally needs his more experienced crop to help guide the squad through a period of transition.
Instead, The Times claims that Chelsea may have to make do without their most senior player for the reverse fixture with the Bundesliga outfit.
© Reuters
During the early stages of Sunday's 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, Silva required several minutes of treatment after a coming-together with Harry Kane.
Although the 38-year-old made his way back onto the pitch, he soon indicated to the dugout that he would need to be withdrawn from the London derby.
Silva sustained a knee injury and Potter suggested after the match that he was naturally concerned about the condition of the centre-back.
The report claims that Silva is currently expected to be sidelined for a week, theoretically putting him in a position where he could take to the pitch versus Dortmund.
© Reuters
However, Potter would unlikely take any risks on Silva in a match of that magnitude if he had been unable to train with the rest of the squad for at least seven days.
In terms of replacements, Chelsea are hindered by Potter making the decision not to include Benoit Badiashile in his squad for the knockout stages.
That currently leaves Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah as the two options to replace Silva, with the former having recently made his return from a knee injury of his own.
Potter would have to weigh up whether to use the Frenchman, who has just 116 minutes under his belt since October 5, twice in the space of three days with a fixture against Leeds United preceding the continental encounter.
Darren Plant
