Chelsea defender Thiago Silva could be punished for giving a shirt to a Fulham construction worker

Thiago Silva could face disciplinary action from the Premier League for breaking coronavirus protocols by giving his match jersey to a construction worker in Fulham on Saturday.

Following Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Craven Cottage on Saturday night, the Brazilian defender threw his match jersey away at an individual working to rebuild Fulham’s Riverside Stand.

The Premier League released strict new protocols this week to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among teams, which included a ban on trading or giving away worn shirts.

Thiago Silva could face disciplinary action for failing to comply with Covid-19 protocols on Saturday

Chelsea defender threw his shirt at a construction worker after his side won at Fulham

Silva played the full 90 minutes at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon before handing her shirt to the Fulham worker.

Everton winger Richarlison pulled off the same blow when Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton visited Fulham in November, although the Brazilian received no punishment.

England’s top flight has seen several match postponements this season as some clubs have been unable to form squads due to various coronavirus outbreaks.

New Premier League rules introduced this week say players cannot give or exchange shirts

Everton winger Richarlison pulled off the same stunt when his team played Fulham in November

Chelsea opponent Fulham on Saturday was one of the teams hit by a spike in cases this season as the festive fixtures against Tottenham and Burnley in December were postponed.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, has not played since New Years Day as their training ground remains closed due to a virus outbreak earlier this month.

Villa’s match with Everton, originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, was the last high-profile game to be called off due to the health risks posed by the coronavirus.

Some of the more stringent protocols include avoiding “ handshakes, high five and hugs ” during games to limit unnecessary contact.

Fulham is working on the development of their Riverside stand (pictured) during the current season

League rules told players not to celebrate as a team, although some clubs don’t follow them

Despite new rules coming into play this week and Premier League general manager Richard Masters stressing the “ critical importance ” of following the rules, most clubs still chose to celebrate as a team on Saturday and ” avoid social distancing.

Brighton, West Ham, Wolves, Chelsea and West Brom all celebrated as usual after scoring in their weekend games, although Leicester’s James Maddison opted to play by the rules in the Foxes’ game against Southampton on Saturday evening.

The midfielder signaled his teammates not to celebrate with him and shook hands with them from afar after opening the scoring at King Power Stadium.