Antonio Conte admits that he doesn’t know if Chelsea star has future at the club
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has this evening revealed that he is not sure if David Luiz has a future at Stamford Bridge.
Controversial character
Brazilian stopper Luiz, who generally split opinion among fans of the Blues during his first stint with the club from 2011-2014, has enjoyed a far more consistent spell the second time around, since having returned to London from PSG last summer.
The wily South American proved a key member of Antonio Conte’s Premier League title-winning squad last season, solidifying himself as one of the English top-flight’s finest stoppers.
Under-fire
However, Chelsea’s struggles to start the current campaign have seen Luiz, along with a number of his fellow Blues defenders, come in for criticism from both the media and supporters.
He was dropped for his side’s Premier League clash with Manchester United this evening, as the capital giants ran out 1-0 winners in an impressive performance.
When questioned on the decision to leave Luiz out before kick-off, Antonio Conte explained:
(Leaving David Luiz out) is a tactical decision. There is Andreas Christensen in good form and we have Ethan Ampadu who is a good, young player at the club.
“We are conceding many goals so you have to find stability and solidity. We have to be patient with the team and defend in the right way. (Via the Evening Standard)
Stamford Bridge exit?
However, the Italian tactician painted a very different picture when probed further on rumours of a bust-up between he and Luiz during his post-match interview, with Conte revealing to Sky Sports:
‘I don’t know [if he has a future at Chelsea], he has to work really hard with the others, otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.’