Youthful Chelsea ready for Thiago Silva reunion at Club World Cup

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Fluminenses Thiago Santos and Thiago Silva celebrating after a 2-1 Club World Cup quarter-final win over Al-Hilal at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, on July 4.

PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK – Chelsea’s young side are targeting a place in the final of the Club World Cup when they face a Fluminense side marshalled by former Blues defender Thiago Silva, who is still going strong at the age of 40, on July 8.

Silva was already a veteran when he signed for Chelsea in 2020, before going on to have an impressive four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.

One of the finest centre-backs of his generation, the Brazilian arrived after eight years at Paris Saint-Germain and in his first season at Chelsea won the Champions League.

He played 155 games for the London club and left 12 months ago after helping oversee the development of some of the young talent now featuring regularly under Enzo Maresca.

“He’s a legend of football, a top player,” Marc Cucurella, a teammate of Silva’s for two years, told English media, adding that the two had exchanged messages about their impending reunion in the semi-finals in New Jersey.

“We have the opportunity to play against him again and hopefully, we can do good things, win this game and play in the final.”

Silva initially made his name at Brazilian side Fluminense, featuring in the team who reached the Copa Libertadores final in 2008, before losing to LDU Quito of Ecuador.

He returned there upon leaving Chelsea, once again pulling on