- Antonio Conte insists previous decision to axe David Luiz was ‘tactical decision’
- There had been rumours of rift between Chelsea boss and Brazilian defender
- Italian denied problem and said Luiz is back but did not divulge anything further
- Chelsea face under-pressure West Brom side at Hawthorns on Saturday
Antonio Conte has brought David Luiz back into his Chelsea squad following rumours of a rift after axing the Brazilian from the Manchester United game.
The Blues boss was frosty when questioned about his relationship with the centre-back, maintaining Luiz was excluded for ‘tactical reasons’ against Manchester United.
He refused to expand further, insisting he had attended the press conference to speak about the group rather than individuals.
Antonio Conte denied a rift with David Luiz and recalled the defender to his match-day squad
Conte said: ‘David Luiz is in the squad, yes. I repeat, it was a tactical decision and every single player has to react well (when dropped).
‘I think I stay here to speak of the team before the game against West Brom, I like to speak about the team not one single player.’
The 48-year-old raised eyebrows when he decided to omit Luiz from the match-day squad to face United before the international break.
Luiz returns to the squad for the visit to the Hawthorns to take on West Brom on Saturday