CB – Thiago Silva
Like James, the Brazilian was taken out of the team to give him time to recover. At 38 years of age, he can’t be asked to play every few days.
Silva’s experience was badly missed in the defeat to the Saints, which shouldn’t have been the case with Kalidou Koulibaly still in the team.
However, the Senegalese international was dreadful last Saturday, and the fact that he was substituted at halftime, whilst on a booking, kind of says it all.