David Luiz was dropped for ‘tactical’ reasons, says Chelsea manager Antonio Conte

David Luiz was left out of Antonio Conte's squad to face Manchester United for "tactical" reasons, according to the Chelsea manager.

Luiz was a surprise omission from Conte's team that took on United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the decision to leave the central defender - who has been a mainstay in Conte's team since returning to the club in 2016 - coming just days after he, along with the rest of the Chelsea defence, suffered a nightmare showing against Roma.

Reports in the British press before the game suggested that Luiz's performance at the Stadio Olimpico, along with suggestions of a rift between Conte, was the reason why the Brazilian was not played against United.

But Conte sought to play down such claims as he insisted the decision to leave the 30-year-old out of his team was due to tactical reasons.

He told Sky Sports: “(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.

"Manchester United is a really good team they will want to win, like us. We have to try playing our football and be focused from the start to the end."