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Frank Lampard has heaped praise on Chelsea defender Thiago Silva for his “classy” displays in blue this season.
The centre-back has made 32 appearances in all competitions, starring at the back individually in what has been a difficult campaign for the Blues as a whole.
At 38, the veteran defender is still going strong, and has now played the entire 90 minutes in Chelsea’s last three matches after being sidelined with a ligament injury.
Lampard praises ‘classy’ Silva
Silva has often skippered Chelsea this season, with the Brazilian showing superb leadership both on and off the pitch in that role.
The Blues have been nowhere near their best, but Silva has proven he still has what it takes to perform at the very highest level.
He is also a fantastic role model for the likes of young defenders Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah, who played alongside Silva in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
The iconic Brazilian has now been handed huge praise from his manager Lampard, who won his first game back in the Chelsea dugout against the Cherries.
“Thiago is a credit in all aspects,” said Lampard, as quoted by the official Chelsea website. “He’s a classy, brilliant player. His career says it. He’s also brilliant at looking after himself to play at this level.
“He’s 38. I was in the MLS by that point. Especially as a centre-back, to play in the Premier League, what he must be doing with his body.
“He’s also got a great mind and he’s got a winning mentality, so he would have been suffering a bit recently because he feels it and he wears it and he’s a great reference point for the young centre-backs we’ve got in the team around him. I’ve got nothing but praise for Thiago in all aspects.”
Lampard addresses potential starts for duo
It was a rare start for Badiashile in the clash with Bournemouth, with the young defender shining at the back and indeed at the front, finding the back of the net in the 82nd minute.
Also shining going forward from the start was Noni Madueke, who was chosen by Lampard to get at the Bournemouth defence from the first whistle. The winger was replaced by fellow forward Hakim Ziyech in the 76th minute after a fantastic attacking display.
But given the long list of players Lampard can choose from, it remains to be seen who will be selected from the start for the upcoming match against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
When asked if Badiashile and Madueke will remain in the team for the final few games of the season, Lampard replied: “It’s probably not easy to answer that.
“To a degree, yeah, but I’ll have to think about Forest, see what the week says. Of course, my role now is to try to give those players minutes, to show and grow a little bit in the team. “But also, as much as there’s that, I have to work with all the players and they all have to respect what I’m trying to do.”
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