Thiago Silva has hit out at a Brazilian media outlet for criticising teammate Enzo Fernandez following Chelsea's Champions League defeat on Wednesday.
The Blues fell to a 1-0 loss away to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the last-16 clash with the German giants.
Karim Adeyemi scored the only goal of the match for the hosts, making a breakaway down the pitch and beating Fernandez in a race before making a collected finish.
Sportsmail previously reported on social media praise for Adeyemi, which also slated Fernandez, just weeks after his £107m record move to London from Benfica.
TNT Sports Brasil were among those also hitting out at Fernandez's role in failing to deal with the outstanding run, posting on Instagram with the caption: 'CALL THE UBER FI ! Enzo Fernández is looking for Adeyemi so far'.
However, Brazilian Silva, who wore the captain's armband for the game, stepped up to defend his new Argentinian teammate in a feisty response.
He said he felt TNT, which has existed under different names since 2007, and took on the branding in 2021, should be more mature with their output.
Silva replied: 'Lack of f**king respect huh!!! Be more serious with your work', alongside a thumbs-up emoji.
Chelsea will need to score at least twice to stand any chance of progressing from the second leg at Stamford Bridge on March 7, something they have not done since a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on December 27.
A one-goal home win against Crystal Palace in the league in January was the only time Graham Potter's Blues have been victorious in 2023.
Despite a lack of success on the pitch, Silva has been one of Chelsea's shining lights this term in Chelsea's defence, and was rewarded with a new one-year deal which will see the Brazilian defender remain at Stamford Bridge until 2024.
Chelsea's next game is at home to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, before a London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium eight days later.