Chelsea have had their problems this season (that’s putting it mildly), but one thing they did have going for them is a nice partnership developing between January signing Benoit Badiashile and Thiago Silva at centre back.
That’s why today’s selection is so baffling. Graham Potter had broken up that partnership to get Kalidou Koulibaly (who has struggled hugely since arriving in the summer) in alongside Silva.
The Koulibaly-Silva partnership is what we will be seeing in the Champions League, because Badiashile hasn’t been registered in that competition. Perhaps this is Potter’s attempt to get some chemistry going between the two ahead of a crucial second leg against Dortmund?
Either way, it shows what a mess we’re in if we’re playing an inferior combination in the league just because the optimal combination isn’t available in Europe.
Given the 38 year old Thiago Silva needs a rest every third game, it also means we’re going to be switching between 3 different combinations – not ideal for a side already suffering from making too many changes.