Thiago Silva may have been absent through injury for Chelsea’s impressive 2-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge, but the veteran defender made sure his team-mates could see - and hear - him from the stands.
Silva was ruled out of the second leg of the last-16 tie due to a thigh problem, but was seen cheering on Chelsea from the Stamford Bridge stands as goals from Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri earned a 2-0 win on the night, and a comprehensive 3-0 win on aggregate.
Emerson scored with his first touch off the bench in injury time, and the left-back’s strike led to wild scenes of celebration from Silva.
The 36-year-old centre-back was bouncing up and down on the steps in the stands and celebrated with suspended duo Jorginho and Mason Mount as Chelsea booked their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Given such a comprehensive win over LaLiga leaders Atletico, Chelsea will be one of the teams to avoid in Friday;s draw.
Impact! 💥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 17, 2021
Emerson smashed the ball home with his first touch to seal the 3-0 aggregate win for Chelsea 🙌
Look at the celebrations in the stands from Thiago Silva, Mason Mount and Jorginho! 😆🤣 pic.twitter.com/wNX3YZe0Sx
Tuchel will also likely have Silva back along with Mount and Jorginho, though they will all face a fight to get back into the starting XI after such an impressive display on Wednesday night.
