Chelsea defender David Luiz is reportedly set to be excluded from the squad that will face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues suffered a costly 3-0 defeat at Roma in the Champions League in midweek, and Antonio Conte would have been far from impressed with their defensive display having failed to keep things tight at the back in a crucial away game in Europe.
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In turn, it’s claimed by The Sun that aside from there being tension between him and Luiz this week, he is preparing to snub the Brazilian international in favour of Andreas Christensen who has been used in a defensive three in training in preparation for this encounter.
It would be a significant call from the Italian tactician, especially given the current atmosphere at Chelsea with the report also noting how he’s under real pressure.
As a result, that would surely warrant looking to his senior players to rely on them to lead the way and secure a positive result, but there appears to be a risk that Luiz won’t play any part against the Red Devils.
That’s despite being an almost ever-present so far this season, making 12 appearances in all competitions and having been such an important part of Conte’s success last season. It will be a decisive decision to leave him out now when a defeat could potentially have serious consequences for the former Juventus and Italy boss’s future at Chelsea.
The reigning Premier League champions had won their previous three games in all competitions prior to the setback in Rome though, and so they’ll be hoping for more of the same against old boss Jose Mourinho on Sunday to ensure that they go into the international break in a positive mood.