Chelsea were able to earn a point against Manchester City yesterday after drawing 1-1 with the Premier League champions.
They were without Thiago Silva and defended exceptionally well in his absence, and Jamie Carragher has stated on Sky Sports that it is time for the club to move on from him.
There is a possibility of that happening, with Silva turning 40 this year and out of contract at the end of the season.
With the Brazilian out injured, Mauricio Pochettino went with a central defensive partnership of Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill for the draw at the Etihad.
Both centre-backs performed well, with the former making 16 clearances and the latter 10 (WhoScored).
Jamie Carragher cannot see a way back for Thiago Silva
Carragher thinks it will be hard for Silva to win back his place in the team, which would likely spell the end of his Chelsea career. The former Paris Saint-Germain captain will not be able to show that he deserves a new contract.
“When you see those two [Disasi and Colwill] playing there together, I think it makes it very difficult for Thiago Silva to get back into the team between now and the end of the season unless someone gets injured,” Carragher said. “But I certainly think Chelsea, yes they’ve got the cup final, but they’ve almost got to start building something for the future.
“There’s not an awful lot to play for after the cup final. So I think looking at those two as a partnership and maybe another younger centre-back — I’m not sure who else they’ve got in the squad — but yeah, I think the days of Thiago Silva playing for Chelsea have got to come to an end.”
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Levi Colwill can replace Thiago Silva
Colwill has played at left-back for most of the campaign, but the 20-year-old is a central defender by trade.
And he showed it is a role that he can play exceptionally well after his performance against City yesterday.
When Silva’s £110,000-a-week contract (Spotrac) expires in the summer, Colwill can be his long-term successor if his deal is not extended.
And with the likes of Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana also at Chelsea, the club will feel that they do not have to keep hold of Silva.
As for the remainder of the campaign, who starts the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool next Sunday could give a big indication of what Pochettino’s plans for Silva are.
