Thiago Silva’s return provides a boost for Chelsea ahead of Real Madrid clash

Real Madrid suffered a loss at the hands of Villarreal over the weekend, potentially ending their chances of catching up to Barcelona in the La Liga title race. However, the loss could serve as a wake-up call as they prepare to face Chelsea in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie at Santiago Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, Chelsea is currently experiencing a terrible run of form, sitting at 11th in the Premier League table and going through their worst season of the century. They recently replaced manager Graham Potter with caretaker Frank Lampard until the end of the campaign, and suffered a 1-0 loss against Wolves.

Despite this, Chelsea received a significant boost as Thiago Silva returned to training, as announced by Fabrizio Romano. Silva, despite being 38 years old, remains one of the world’s best centre-backs when fit, and his return could have a significant impact on the upcoming match against Real Madrid.

While Real Madrid is considered heavy favorites to advance, it is important to remember that nothing is certain in football. Despite their poor domestic form, Chelsea has shown excellent performance in the Champions League, making it unwise to underestimate them and consider the result of the tie as a forgone conclusion.