- Antonio Conte left David Luiz out of Chelsea’s win over Manchester United
- Eden Hazard has talked up the importance of Luiz in the Blues squad
- Conte admitted he’s unsure over Luiz’s future at Chelsea
- WATCH: David Luiz shows he’s born to play in midfield with stunning goal
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has suggested he doesn’t agree with Antonio Conte’s recent decision to axe David Luiz from the Blues squad.
Speaking on Soccer AM, the Metro quote Hazard as naming the Brazilian as the club’s biggest joker, saying: ‘Luiz. The geezer, always smiling, so he’s in a good mood all the time. It’s good to have people like this in the team.’
Conte may want to take notice of Hazard’s comments after recently admitting he was unsure over Luiz’s future at the club, with the defender always seeming like a popular figure among both staff and fans at Stamford Bridge.
The Italian left Luiz out of the matchday squad altogether as Chelsea beat Manchester United before the international break, but Hazard’s quotes make it clear he values what he brings to squad morale.
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Don Balon have recently linked Hazard as a top transfer target for Real Madrid, and he’s dropped a number of recent hints that all may not be entirely well at Chelsea.
First, he hinted he could be open to moving to Madrid by praising their manager Zinedine Zidane in an interview with La Derniere Heure, saying: ‘Zidane would be a dream to have as a coach, he was my idol when I was little. I have a lot of respect for him.’
Hazard also didn’t sound too happy with Conte when he was taken off in the recent 3-3 draw with Roma, with the Metro quoting him as saying: ‘I don’t know, I don’t know (why Conte took me off). I think sometimes the manager wants me on the bench at the end of the game.’