Chelsea players believe veteran star has been disrespected by Mauricio Pochettino following captaincy snub after Reece James' Injury - Reports

Chelsea players are reportedly unhappy and puzzled with Thiago Silva's name being overlooked in the list of captaincy amid Reece James and Ben Chilwell's absence. Moreover, they also think that the Brazilian defender is being disrespected by the snub.

After returning from a two-month-long injury spell, Reece James is again expected to be sidelined for a long period due to his reoccurring hamstring problems. On the other side, Chelsea's vice-captain, Ben Chilwell, is also sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

In their absence, Mauricio Pochettino has given the captaincy to Conor Gallagher. However, after the 23-year-old midfielder was suspended against Brighton & Hove Albion on December 3, Pochettino gave the captain's armband to Levi Colwill against Manchester United.

“This is a decision taken by me and the club,” Mauricio Pochettino said about Levi Colwill's captaincy.

However, amid the changing captains, former Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva's experience has been overlooked. Among all the young players, Silva is the most experienced footballer on the team. As a result, according to the Guardian, the players in the dressing room have started feeling that the 39-year-old is being 'disrespected'.

Talking about the injuries, Christopher Nkunku is expected to make his Premier League debut for the Blues soon. On the other side, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Malo Gusto, Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke are expected to miss a few more matches.

Chelsea star is set to miss three months of action due to injury - Report

Chelsea captain Reece James is set to miss three months due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the Blues' 2-0 loss against Everton on December 10. According to the Guardian, the Englishman will be sidelined for three months as he has started his rehabilitation program.

In Chelsea's first match of the 2023-24 season, James sustained a hamstring injury against Liverpool in August. Due to the injury, he later missed two months of action for the Blues. However, against the Toffees, the 24-year-old was substituted in the 27th minute after he was feeling discomfort in his hamstring.

Reece James recently took to social media and uploaded a picture where he can be seen saddened by his injury. He captioned the post:

"Devastated"

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and Reece James' teammates also reacted to the post. The Blues are currently in the 12th spot in the Premier League with 19 points after 16 games. Next up, they will face Sheffield United on December 16 (Saturday) in the Premier League.