Chelsea star Thiago Silva could face punishment from the Premier League for breaching coronavirus protocol, after giving away his match-worn shirt to a construction worker at Craven Cottage.
The Premier League released strict new guidelines for footballers and staff to follow amid the latest spike in cases, which included a ban on swapping or giving away worn shirts.
Silva ignored those warnings on Saturday afternoon, when having just beaten Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage, he spotted a construction worker in the stands and launched his jersey to the member of public.
And the 36-year-old could be reprimanded for his actions, as the English top-flight officials look to clamp down on those who do not follow their new set of rules, in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
Silva is not the first man to do this, however. Fellow Brazilian Richarlison also threw his shirt to a worker at Craven Cottage when Carlo Ancelotti's Everton made the trip to London, but he escaped any sanctions for his misjudged act of kindness.
The Premier League may take stronger action against Silva however, given that we have seen a number of top-flight fixtures postponed due to coronavirus outbreaks among squads across the country.
Chelsea will be left sweating over the fear of losing Silva to a ban for the upcoming string of fixtures, as they aim to climb the table and re-enter the Champions League race. The Blues face Leicester City in the next league encounter, before hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers in what will be a tricky contest.
And doing so without Silva would be a serious blow for Frank Lampard. The experienced defender has featured regularly for Chelsea this season, and he has even assumed the role of captain when Cesar Azpilicueta has not started.
He has made 13 appearances for the Blues this season, scoring two goals.
Source: 90min
