Antonio Conte has revealed David Luiz is still suffering discomfort from Sergio Agüero’s “dangerous” challenge at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday and will need a late fitness test to discern his availability for Sunday’s visit of West Bromwich Albion to Stamford Bridge.
Agüero was dismissed for his lunge on the Brazilian towards the end of Chelsea’s 3-1 win after leaping into a challenge and making contact with the inside of David Luiz’s outstretched right leg. The centre-half then appeared to twist his other leg as he fell, lying on the turf clutching his left knee while players from both sides confronted each other near the touchline, and limped away from the stadium.
Conte was oblivious at the time to the wild nature of the tackle, which has earned Agüero a four-match suspension as his second red card offence of the campaign, but has since reviewed footage of the incident on television.
“Only after I saw the replays, that’s when I saw this was a very dangerous challenge for David Luiz,” said the Chelsea manager, whose team go into the weekend three points clear at the top. “I have to check on Saturday if David Luiz is able to play on Sunday because, after this tackle … this tackle was very bad.
“So I have to check on his recovery from his injury. It will be very important tomorrow for him and for me to decide whether he’s able to play on Sunday. That tackle was dangerous, for sure. I watched the images and I was afraid [he might be injured]. I was scared. He’s trying to recover from this tackle.”
The centre-half, who has been ever present since returning to the Chelsea side after his transfer deadline day move from Paris Saint-Germain, has been one of the key performers in the team’s renewed defensive discipline over recent weeks as the central pivot in the reshaped back three. He trained on his own earlier this week to help his leg to recover but, while still feeling the aftereffects of the challenge, has played some part with the full group over the past two days.
That would suggest he should be able to take his place in an unchanged backline against West Brom when Nemanja Matic is expected to return from a calf strain to partner N’Golo Kanté in midfield. The Serb, absent at City, has been able to play a full part at Cobham since Tuesday, meaning Cesc Fàbregas will revert to the substitutes’ bench as Chelsea seek to secure a ninth successive league win.
Willian, who came off the bench to score the visitors’ second goal at the Etihad Stadium, may start the game ahead of Pedro, with Conte prepared to rotate his squad more in the period ahead as the leaders, who are without European football this season, face seven games in four weeks.
“We’ll have three games in seven days this week and, for this reason, it’s important to have all the squad, all the players in good form,” said Conte, whose side play at struggling Sunderland on Wednesday and at Crystal Palace next Saturday after playing Tony Pulis’s West Brom. “I could take the decision to have more rotation.
“The best [scenario] is always to have a squad with 22, 23 or 24 players at a great level to support sometimes if you have some injuries during the season. But I think the most important thing now is to think game by game. For now it’s important to be fully concentrated on West Brom.
“Then, after the game, if we have new injuries or I see some players tired, we will see.”
