LONDON: David Luiz could have a fight to regain his place in Chelsea's starting lineup.
After a 3-0 loss at Roma in the Champions League, the Brazil defender was dropped for Sunday's game against Manchester United. Chelsea won 1-0 with Luiz sitting in the stand, having not even been named as a substitute.
Chelsea coach Antonio Conte provided an ambiguous answer when asked about the future of Luiz, who was replaced by Andreas Christensen.
Conte told broadcaster Sky Sports that "I don't know. He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand."
In the post-match news conference, Conte was less critical of Luiz who rejoined Chelsea in August 2016 after two years at Paris Saint-Germain.
Conte said dropping the Brazilian was "only a tactical decision. It's normal. This can happen to every one of my players. If I see that they are not in a good form."
Conte recently called the 30-year-old Luiz his "best defender," but the Italian coach said "it can change.