Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has knee ligament damage

Chelsea revealed on Tuesday that Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva suffered knee ligament damage during the 2-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham at the weekend.

Silva, 38, had to leave the pitch in the first half of the Blues' defeat.

Chelsea have not said how long the former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan defender will be sidelined, but his absence is another setback for under-pressure manager Graham Potter who has just two wins from the club's last 15 games in all competitions.

"Scan results have confirmed damage to Thiago's knee ligaments and he will now work closely with the club's medical department during his rehabilitation to return to action as soon as possible," the club said in a statement.

Silva has missed just three of Chelsea's Premier League matches this season.

The 2021 European champions have spent half a billion pounds on new players since being taken over by a group led by American Todd Boehly, including signing centre-backs Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli and Benoit Badiashile from Monaco.