Chelsea defender David Luiz has become more of a fringe player at the club since the start of this season. It’s easy to forget how crucial he was in Chelsea’s title triumph last season.
Luiz’s partnership with Gary Cahill had been lauded by all pundits and experts, he was the reason Chelsea had returned to the summit of English football. However, fast forward some three months into this campaign, and David Luiz had been relegated to the bench, with budding youngster Andreas Christensen preferred in the middle of the famous three-man defense system.
The Brazil star was a linchpin in Conte’s system, being the man the team relied on to begin attacks from the back with a range of passes, only he knew how to among the Chelsea defenders.
His free-kicks were only an icing on the cake, helping win or snatch draws in tough games. These days, Luiz is seen only on Chelsea’s bench and sparingly in cup games. So how did he sink so low in only a few months?
Luiz was thought to be a friend of Diego Costa – the man many point to as the cause of Chelsea’s problems, following his feud with Conte in the summer – and could only be a victim of the dominoes effect after the manager reportedly aimed at the departed striker’s friends in the squad. The Times, via This Is Futbol, reported that Conte had dropped Luiz and Willian from his setup because of their links with Costa, sometime in November.
Subsequently, Luiz was reportedly involved in a feud with the manager after Chelsea lost 3-0 to AS Roma in the Champions League, with the defender questioning the tactics of the manager, per the Mirror. That led to the prolonged absence from the team.
Metro later quoted the former Italy manager as saying Andreas Christensen had earned a place in the starting 11 ahead of Luiz, purely on merit, and that was proven after the youngster barely put a foot wrong when given the chance in key games, beginning from the 1-0 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
His injuries have also played a part in missing many of Chelsea’s games this season and all these have culminated in his absence from Chelsea’s setup this campaign. It’s safe to say Luiz did himself no good after he played poorly in Chelsea’s 4-1 loss to Watford in the Premier League.
A quick recovery from his knee injury and forcing his way back into Chelsea’s team will go a long way to boost his chances of making the World Cup in the summer.
