Antonio Conte has sent a powerful warning to his Chelsea squad …and David Luiz has felt the full force of it

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Simon Johnson6 November 2017

At a time when Antonio Conte appears to be in danger of losing power, the Italian has chosen to exert his authority at Stamford Bridge.

The decision to omit David Luiz from the squad for Chelsea’s win against Manchester United could not have sent a more public message that he remains very much in charge.

Luiz is believed to have paid a heavy price for questioning the Chelsea coach’s tactics last week.

However long his reign in west London lasts, no one can accuse the 48-year-old Italian of being afraid to take on the dressing room.

Photo: Rex Features
Rex Features

Some Chelsea managers during the Roman Abramovich era have paid the price for doing too little to curb players’ influence on the boardroom, some too much.

"However long his reign lasts, no one can accuse the Italian of being afraid to take on the dressing room"

It is a hard balance to find and one suspects Conte is fully aware of the fine line he is treading in handling Luiz so ruthlessly.

But then this is the second occasion in 2017 that he has decided to take on a popular Brazilian within Chelsea’s squad.

At the start of the year, his patience with Diego Costa also ran out and he made it clear the 28-year-old striker was no longer part of his plans.

Just like Luiz yesterday, Costa was left out of a match that was being broadcast on television - an away game at Leicester.

A marriage of convenience followed for the rest of the campaign, with Costa being brought back into the fold to help win the Premier League but the divorce had been set in stone and he is now at Atletico Madrid.

Photo: Reuters
REUTERS

Conte was able to act from a position of strength back then because the club led the title race.

The treatment of Luiz, however, comes at a period where Conte and Chelsea are under pressure to secure a top-four place.

Had his selection of Andreas Christensen in the starting line-up or 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu on the bench backfired against former Blues boss Jose Mourinho yesterday, then Conte would have had some very awkward questions to answer from the powers that be this morning.

Significantly, though, the team responded with a victory. Conte let it be known in no uncertain terms at a team meeting on Thursday that players would be dropped if performances did not improve.

The former Juventus did not take kindly to being humiliated on his return to Italian soil earlier in the week, as his side lost 3-0 at Roma in the Champions League.

Conte certainly got the response he would have wanted and the manner of yesterday’s win gave the impression that the squad are prepared to still fight for their coach.

It could be argued that Christensen deserved to be in the first XI ahead of Luiz anyway, given the way he has played so far this term.

After helping nullify former Chelsea striker - and summer transfer target - Romelu Lukaku with ease, the Denmark international merits a run in the side rather than the odd start here and there.

Of course, Luiz’s situation could provide an unwelcome distraction if he continues to be pictured sitting in the stands or on the bench, particularly if the Blues start losing without him in the line-up.

Against United, Chelsea showed their intent from the outset, although it is an understatement to suggest that N’Golo Kante’s return from injury helped.

It is remarkable that one player among so many expensive internationals can have such a huge impact.

Kante’s absence with a hamstring strain over the previous five weeks disrupted Chelsea in attack and defence.

The home team looked far more at ease with him back in the fold as they dominated United in midfield.

Conte also switched to a 3-5-2 formation, a system that allows Cesc Fabregas to express himself far better on the ball and Tiemoue Bakayoko to be more influential.

It took a fine header from Alvaro Morata - ending a drought of six matches without a goal - to separate the two sides, although the gulf in quality between them deserved a greater margin.

Conte’s passionate celebration at the final whistle betrayed a man who knew there were more than three points at stake.

His judgement has been verified for now but the ramifications may only just be beginning.