Antonio Conte explains his decision not to select David Luiz for Chelsea's clash with Manchester United on Sunday
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte Photo: Screengrab
Antonio Conte has insisted that he opted to drop David Luiz for Chelsea’s clash with Manchester United purely because he felt that the defender was out of form.
The Brazilian was not even named on the bench as Conte opted to play Andreas Christensen in defence for the clash against the Red Devils at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea kept a clean sheet in Luiz’s absence as the Blues secured an impressive 1-0 victory over Manchester United thanks to Alvaro Morata’s header in the 55th minute.
The decision to drop Luiz was met by surprise by some fans but Conte insisted that the decision was purely a tactical one after Sunday’s game.
Speaking at his post-match news conference at Stamford Bridge, Conte said: “It’s very simple. The coach has to make the best decision for the team. Tonight the best decision for the team was to play with Christensen and to have Ampadu on the bench, young players, really good players for the present and the future.
“Maybe in the future I can decide in a different way, or continue in this way. I must take the best decision for the club, not for a single player. Sometimes I can make mistakes or sometimes I can do the best thing.
“It was only a tactical decision. This can happen to any one of my players. If I see they are not in good form, it’s normal.
“I have to put my face in every situation, and sometimes make important decisions. Today I did this, and Christensen played an amazing game. I was very happy for this.”
Chelsea’s win over Manchester United left the Blues in fourth place in the Premier League table and nine points behind leaders Manchester City after 11 games of the new campaign.
The west London side return to Premier League action after the international break when they travel to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday 18 November.
Conte is looking to help Chelsea defend their Premier League title after they won the trophy in style in his first campaign in charge last season.
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