Graham Potter faces £75m decision as Chelsea ace back in the squad for Spurs clash

Chelsea face city rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and ahead of the tie, CFC have received a significant injury boost as Thiago Silva is back in the squad after missing the Southampton game. With his return, Graham Potter will have to choose the centre back pairing between Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Silva.

When the team sheets came out for the home game against Southampton, Silva’s name was missing as Badiashile and Kalidou Koulibaly started in the backline. Koulibaly continued his underwhelming spell as he was booked early in the first half and was taken off at half time.

Potter introduced Fofana in the second half for Koulibaly and the Frenchman settled quickly in the rearguard. It was difficult to point out that Fofana had been out of action for three months as he looked steady from the start.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter must decide between Wesley Fofana and Thiago Silva

For 45 minutes, CFC looked stable at the back as they pushed for an equalizer. It was a horrendous result as the Blues lost 1-0 to bottom placed Southampton but there was a silver lining. That day, a resilient and a promising centre back partnership was born as Fofana and Badiashile impressed.

With these two at the back, CFC can play a high line as they showed a great blend of sweeping and aggressive ball winning throughout the 45 minutes against the Saints. If both of the players can manage to keep themselves fit and continue this upward trajectory, Chelsea’s backline would be secured for years to come.

Prior to Fofana’s return, Badiashile had forged a solid partnership with Silva. The Brazilian and French duo has started four games together and managed to keep three clean sheets out of four, an impressive feat.

Silva and Badiashile complemented each other well, having a blend of veteran experience and youthful exuberance. The Brazilian is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues to marshal the backline when he plays. Silva was left out of the Southampton game alongside Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Reece James as the quartet had a significant risk of injury.

With Silva now available, Potter must decide over which centre back pairing to deploy against Tottenham. Regardless, Badiashile is an indispensable part of the team and will be present in the backline. Silva gives you the soundness needed in the rearguard meanwhile Fofana gives you the aggressive ball winning ability and also allows you to play high up the pitch. It is a conundrum that Potter must solve soon.

Should Potter start Thiago Silva or Wesley Fofana?