Chelsea landed what may be a decisive blow in the Premier League title race this afternoon as they overcame Jose Mourinho's Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Unfortunately, it was 3 points that ultimately enabled Manchester City to secure an eight-point lead over the second-placed United - this decisive blow could be a terminal one for those wishing to see a competitive run-in (and its only November).
Extending Jose Mourinho's miserable record of late against United's direct opponents, Chelsea's 1-0 did not flatter their dominance throughout.
Tested only sporadically, one player Antonio Conte deemed expendable ahead of United's visit was the Brazilian defender David Luiz.
A noticeable liability during Chelsea's humbling defeat at the hands of Roma midweek, Luiz did not feature in Conte's match-day squad whatsoever.
Brought to task on why he had chosen to omit one of his more experienced defenders with such a big match at hand, Conte was typically bullish in laying out what impact this decision would have for Luiz:
I don't know. David Luiz has to work with the others. If he deserves to play [he plays].
Otherwise [he will] stay on the bench or in the stand.
In his second spell with the club, Luiz was notably sold to Paris St. Germain for £50 million in 2014 - before being bought back by Chelsea for £34 million two years later.
Looking a far more accomplished individual player upon his return, Luiz was instrumental in helping Chelsea win the Premier League title last season; his performances warranting a place in the PFA Team of the Year.
However, having already clocked up noticeable losses to Burnley, Crystal Palace and Roma this season, Luiz's presence in each of these games may be affirming Conte's sense that he is not a man to be trusted.
Having been sent off as Chelsea drew 0-0 with Arsenal in mid-September, the question marks hanging over Luiz's reliability appear to be multiplying.
Certain outlets have suggested that the feeling may be mutual, with Luiz apparently unsatisfied with his manager's suitability.
David Luiz dropped by Conte as punishment for querying his tactics last week. Luiz told not to train last Fri & forced to train alone today.
— Matt Hughes (@MattHughesDM) November 5, 2017
Unfortunately for Luiz, Conte went on to praise his replacement Andreas Christensen; the Danish defender repaying the Italian's faith with a strong performance.
An apparent favourite of Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich, David Luiz may yet find his spell 'on the bench or in the stand' becoming more frequent in the near future.
See Also: James McClean Calls Out 'Cowards' In The Crowd At West Brom Game
