Can Rudiger Displace Zouma for Rudiger and Silva Partnership?

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It is no longer news that Thiago Silva is already a Chelsea player and also it is already clear like daylight that since he joined the club, Chelsea’s defence has improved drastically. Last season, Chelsea served a transfer ban which meant that they couldn’t bring any player in even though the lost a major key player Hazard, and had to rely on loan players at least but were able to achieve success with a lot academy graduates. The reliance on some of the loan players opened the way for these players to showcase their qualities and have led to strong healthy competition for most of the positions on the pitch. While I’ve compared the competition in the striking position and midfield position, I will be comparing yet another healthy competition in the center back position.

So far, we have seen that the Zouma-Silva partnership is working really well and they have kept clean sheets since the two of them became pairs in the cb position. These past few weeks has raised a lot of talking points concerning whether Rudiger can displace Zouma for Rudiger-Silva partnership?... Both Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma seem to be another healthy competition for a center back spot at the club next to Luiz. However, there are some section of the Chelsea fans that are crying out for a Rudiger and Silva partnership…

Antonio Rudiger has done quite well so far at Chelsea and has gone on to be seen by many as arguably the most vocal center back at Chelsea with some leadership qualities. It is so unfortunate that his injury before the start of last season prevented him from taking part in the new manager’s trainings and from showcasing his qualities to the manager this pre-season. However, the great news is that he is getting back to his usual self and the Rudiger we know from the Conte time.
Kurt Zouma is one of the loan players recalled from their loan spells to be part of the squad. He had a great season at Everton, cementing his place as one of, if not the best defender at Everton. Lampard has already made it clear that he likes the player and wants to keep him and has utilized him for most of the pre-season games so far. Zouma has impressed in most of the games he has played this pre-season campaign and is showing signs that he is almost returning to the Zouma that every Chelsea fan knew before his terrible injury few years ago. As it stands at the moment, he is the chosen one to pair Silva at the back and so far they have looked very solid and have helped Chelsea earn consecutive cleansheets.

For me, I think both players will play a huge role in Chelsea this upcoming season. They are both very good defenders and on their day, they can be a nightmare for any striker. Silva will not play every game for Chelsea due to his age and we have already seen Rudiger and Zouma in action in their champions league match. Based on the attributes and playing style of these two players, it is most likely that Frank Lampard will pair any of them with Silva or Christensen since these other two offer something different also. However, most of the Chelsea fans are hoping to see a more of Zouma and Silva partnership as they believe that both players can form a rock-solid defensive wall. Nevertheless, the manager has the final say, we all hope for the best for the team.