Antonio
Conte has confirmed that David Luiz will return to the Chelsea squad for
their trip to West Brom on Saturday.
Luiz was left out of the squad for Chelsea's most recent match - the 1-0 win
against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge - with Conte describing the
move as a "tactical decision".
He added that Luiz was "not in good form", and that Andreas Christensen, his
replacement, was "for the present and future".
When asked if Luiz was in contention for the fixture at the Hawthorns, Conte
said: "Yes, David Luiz is in the squad.
"I repeat; it was a technical decision. Every single player has to react
well and accept my decision."
However, Conte was reluctant to be drawn on his relationship with the
Brazilian defender, saying: "I'm here to speak for the team before an
important game against West Brom, and not to speak about a single player.
"I like to speak about the team, about the next game in which we have to pay
good attention. "
Moving on from Luiz, the Chelsea boss was keen to praise Danny Drinkwater,
who played for the Blues against Man Utd but then turned down a call from
Gareth Southgate to join the England squad.
He said: "He was very honest. During the game against Manchester United he
took a knock on his calf. He stopped himself to have treatment and to
recover. He's only started to work with us this week.
"It means the player was clear and intelligent. I don't understand why we
always have to try and make a problem."
While Luiz will return to the Chelsea squad, Conte reported that Michy
Batshuayi and Charly Musonda are struggling with injuries, and that he hopes
to have Victor Moses back next week.
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