Thiago Silva retires injured and Chelsea defense risks exhaustion for Carabao Cup final

Thiago Silva is a doubt for Chelsea's Carabao Cup final clash against Liverpool after picking up an injury against Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian star lasted less than an hour into the match at Selhurst Park when he slid to block a shot from Jean-Philippe Mateta.

However, the defender remained on the ground before needing treatment on the pitch.

Slowly walking off the pitch, Silva could be seen shaking his head as he walked off the field to be replaced by Levi Colwill.

For ChelseaThe timing of the injury is not ideal in the least with Benoit Badiashile is already facing a bad streak after suffering a groin injury against Aston Villa.

The Blues look forward to their Carabao Cup final clash with Liverpool on Sunday February 25, live on talkSPORT, a contest that could be pivotal to the overall success of their campaign.

A win over the Reds would allow Chelsea to qualify for the Europa Conference League next season, an achievement that would be seen as a huge boost given their struggles over the past two seasons, although It may not be so good for them financially..

Mauricio Pochettino's side have been without European football this season, while their mid-table position in the Premier League means qualifying for Europe through the league looks unlikely at the moment.

2

Although they still compete in the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup offers the most direct route to Europe, but without the 39-year-old their hopes of thriving will surely diminish.