Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino says he's happy working with Thiago Silva.

There's been claims of tension between the pair after Thiago was overlooked for the captaincy in Reece James' absence.

"I try to discover his secret, because I want to steal it!" joked Pochettino about the defender's longevity. "I think it's amazing because he's 39. Of course some days it can be difficult for him and you have to push him, but he's doing fantastic.

"I don't know the secret but you can see that he's very professional. To be professional is the most important thing in football to stay longer in your career.'

"We have other experienced players also," he added. "Axel [Disasi], Benoit [Badiashile], Levi [Colwill], I think they have experience. They can deal with it and already we've played some games without Thiago.

"Even when we play with Thiago, sometimes we won and sometimes we didn't. Of course, always he's an important player because of his experience, but he's an important player whether he is on or off the pitch, because he shares that experience."