Conte said before the match that the decision to play Andreas Christensen ahead of Luiz was, "a tactical decision," after the club had conceded three goals at Roma.

Luiz was blamed for much of the poor defensive display in the Champions League tie, and was not on the bench at Stamford Bridge.

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Asked after the 1-0 win against United, Conte said about Luiz's future: "I don’t know. He has to work really hard otherwise they are on the bench or in the stand.”

Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea and David Luiz of Chelsea argue after conceding the 2nd Roma goal during the UEFA Champions League group C match between AS Roma and Chelsea FC at Stadio Olimpico on October 31, 2017 in Rome, Italy. Image credit: Getty Images

He praised the players who did feature in the match, saying to Sky Sports:

"It’s an important victory. When you play against Manchester United it’s always a massive game. We know very well this team is very strong. This type of win is important for our confidence.

"We showed great desire and passion to win this kind of game. We can win or lose but our spirit must be this. Last season our spirit was in every game – we started this season with a lot of problems.

"We were up and down. This game showed if we want we can."

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