Chelsea star's career over after Man City draw - Carragher

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 18 Feb 2024 14:10 GMT
• 3 min read

Jamie Carragher says Thiago Silva's days at Chelsea are numbered after Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill impressed in central defence during the Blues' 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Saturday.

Disasi and Colwill were given 90 minutes at the heart of Chelsea's defence, and remained unbreached for 83 of them before Rodri cancelled out Raheem Sterling's opener.

Silva has started 22 of Chelsea's 25 games in the Premier League so far this season, but missed the City game with a groin injury. Carragher doesn't think he was missed at the weekend, nor will he be in the future.

"He's been brilliant for Chelsea since he's come in," he told Sky Sports of the veteran signed from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. "But I think with his age, his contract's up at the end of the season and when you see those two players [Disasi and Colwill] in together…

'Thiago Silva at Chelsea coming to an end'

"I think it makes it very difficult for Thiago Silva to come back into the team between now and the end of the season - unless someone gets injured.

"I think looking at those two in a partnership and maybe another young centre-back in the squad, the days of Thiago Silva playing at Chelsea have got to come to an end."

Silva has been linked with a return to Fluminense at the end of the season, the Brazilian with whom he made his name prior to a 2009 transfer to AC Milan, and his wife has publicly criticised Mauricio Pochettino this season.

PSG paid Milan €42 million for his services in 2012, but at 39 years of age, his transfer value is now down at €3.5m according to FootballTransfers' inhouse algorithm.

As well as Disasi and Colwill, Chelsea have the 22-year-old France international Benoit Badiashile on their books.