David Luiz believes the incident that saw him dropped from the Chelsea squad was nothing more than a misunderstanding.
The Brazilian was omitted for the Premier League meeting with Manchester United on Sunday.
Antonio Conte said the decision was ‘tactical’, but when asked if Luiz had a future at the club he was unable to give a clear answer.
‘I don’t know. He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stands,’ said the Chelsea manager.
The Times report that the Luiz and Conte were involved in an exchange on Thursday, which led the Chelsea manager to banish the defender from training on Friday.
That exchange came during an inquest into the Champions League defeat to Roma, in which Conte was critical of his players.
It’s claimed that Conte took exception to perceived questioning of his authority by Luiz, who felt he was unfairly singled out.
Luiz, who looked relaxed as he sat behind the dugout for the 1-0 win over Manchester United, is said to maintain that the whole thing was a misunderstanding.
Chelsea 2017/18 Fixtures
Newcastle (A) - Sun May 13
Speaking after the game yesterday, Conte issued a warning to the rest of his players.
‘This can happen to every one of my players, if I see that they are not in good form,’ said the Italian. ‘It’s normal. I repeat, I have to put my face in every situation, and then to make important decisions.’
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