Antonio Conte Hints After Man Utd Win That David Luiz Could Be Benched Indefinitely

One of the biggest talking points leading up to Chelsea's match against Manchester United was David Luiz getting dropped from Antonio Conte's starting XI.

The Brazilian, who was central to the Blues' success last season, wasn't even on the Chelsea bench, with Danish prodigy Andreas Christensen given the nod as the Italian looked to sort out the defensive issues in his side.

Conte's tactics worked out quite well too. The Londoners kept a clean sheet, handing United a loss through Alvaro Morata's stunning header.

And questioned over the future of David Luiz, Conte did not mince his words, urging the player to work hard if he wants to return to the fold.

“I don’t know," the former Italy manager told the BBC following the match. "He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand."

Conte had previously told reporters that there were no personal problems between himself and Luiz. And on Sunday, he described his decision as a tactical one while praising Christensen and 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu, who didn't play any part in the game but featured on the bench.

"It is a tactical decision," he explained. "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."

Luiz is believed to be a favourite of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, so Conte's comments might not go down well with the Russian, who was already at odds with his manager over the Diego Costa fiasco during the summer.