Antonio Conte has explained his decision to stick with Andreas Christensen in place of David Luiz at the back of his formation.
The Dane was brought in two weeks ago against Manchester United as Luiz was left out of the squad entirely, and Conte insists that this call is purely tactical, and that Luiz is no longer being punished.
“I have always answered that it was a tactical decision. Every game I have to try to make the best decision for the team, and if I’m taking this decision it means Christensen is deserving to play,” the Chelsea boss said in his press conference after the 4-0 thrashing of West Brom on Saturday.
The defender certainly hasn’t done anything to lose that precious spot, and the Blues have kept two clean sheets in his two recent starts. The defender is averaging 92.1% pass completion, the fifth highest in the entire Premier League.
He’s already a solid fan favourite at Stamford Bridge, with even the biggest David Luiz fans agreeing that the young defender has earned his run, and should stay in the defence unless his performances drop off dramatically.
However, as Conte points out, there’s a busy run of games coming up, with a trip to Azerbaijan next on the menu. There will be plenty of chances for Luiz as this season wears on.
