Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel confirms the Blues will be without Thiago Silva for their clash against Brentford after the defender was called up by Brazil for the upcoming internationals.
The defender did not travel to play for his country during the last international break as Brazil was on the red list, meaning he would have to quarantine for an extended period on his return to London.
However, the rules have since been relaxed and Silva was called up for Brazil’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers, with the five-time winners playing three times in eight days.
Chelsea face Brentford after the break and Silva is set to return on the day of the game, meaning he will not be available.
Tuchel admits he’s not happy with the arrangement but says there’s nothing the club can do. He told Chelsea’s official website:
“He will go and then he will play for Brazil, and then he will come back on the match day versus Brentford. This is the life of international breaks in 2021. Like it or not, what can I do?
“He’s our player and he arrives on the match day back from a country where he then needs to do quarantine. Is this a good solution for us as a club? No, but we cannot hold him back. It’s impossible.
“If they call him, he needs to go, otherwise he gets suspended by FIFA. So there is no choice. You simply have to live with it.”
