Chelsea's Brazilian defender David Luiz was an absentee in their last league game before the International break as Chelsea were narrow winners against Manchester United. Eden Hazard has stressed the importance of the centre-back in the Chelsea squad following the much talked about fall out with the manager.
Although Conte insisted his decision to pick Andreas Christensen ahead of David Luiz was a tactical one, the Italian said after the game that he was unsure of Luiz's future at Stamford Bridge (is he sure of his own??). The manager-player bust up has been largely linked to Chelsea's game v. Roma about a fortnight ago when the English Champions were drubbed 3-0.
When asked who was the biggest joker in the Chelsea squad Hazard replied to Soccer AM 'Luiz, The geezer, always smiling, so he's in a good mood all the time.
'It's good to have people like this in the team.'
David Luiz has been permitted to train with the group but relationship with the manager is far from getting better since September. In Chelsea's two games against Roma they conceded six goals a slight on Antonio Conte's reputation. The 3-0 loss in Rome was only the third time Conte lost by that score-line which is his joint biggest defeat. Chelsea's victory over United and a clean sheet in Luiz's absence was a political victory for Conte over his player.
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