Thiago Silva, one of the most crucial players for Chelsea this season, is facing a spell on the sidelines following a knee ligament injury.

The Brazilian was brought off in the 19th minute of Chelsea’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, which the Blues would go on to lose 2-0.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Silva could be out for ‘5/6 weeks’ but he also mentions that ‘he’ll try to return as soon as possible.’

This means that Silva is likely to miss out on a number of key fixtures for Chelsea, including the second leg of their Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund. To make matters worse, they lost the first leg by a score of 1-0. The 38-year-old could also miss out on a potentially massive game against Liverpool on April 4.

A statement on Chelsea’s official website regarding Silva’s injury reads: “Having sustained a knee injury during the first half of Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, Thiago underwent further assessment and a scan on his return to the training centre on Monday.

“Scan results from those assessments 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.”

A blow such as this could be devastating to Chelsea. The Blues are on a particularly bad run in the Premier League, having won just one of their last nine games in the league – along the way, they’ve been beaten by the likes of Southampton, Fulham and Manchester City.