Maurizio Sarri names surprise player as 'very important'
What's the story?
Maurizio Sarri has affirmed David Luiz will be 'very important' for him and the Blues in the forthcoming season, ahead of the Community Shield clash against Manchester City. Luiz has started in both of Chelsea's International Champions Cup games at the heart of defence.
In case you didn't know...
The Brazilian defender endured a deplorable season last year under Antonio Conte, where he was frozen out of the starting line-up for the most part of the term. He was beset by injuries and off-the-field feuds with Conte, which restricted him to just two Premier League appearances after October.
He fell behind Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill in the pecking order.
The heart of the matter
David Luiz rejoined the West London club in 2015, guiding them to a remarkable Premier League winning campaign - where he featured in 33 league games. However, 17 appearances in all competitions last season meant that Luiz was experiencing a roller-coaster ride in his second spell at Chelsea.
He cleared the air when asked about his future though, stating that he rejoined Chelsea with the purpose of staying and winning trophies with the club.
"I came back to Chelsea to stay. When I took my decision to come back here from Paris it was to win the Premier League and to do something again with Chelsea, so I am very happy here," he admitted.
"I love Sarri's philosophy," Luiz exclaimed. "We play high, with a lot of possession in a technical way. He's trying to help us every single day to learn quickly his philosophy."
The Chelsea boss too heaped praise on the 31-year-old, which gives us a clear indication that the decorated defender is a major part of his plans.
“I’m very happy with David, for his attitude. I’m very happy. I think David will be very important for the team, to support me,” Sarri said.
Video
Stamford Bridge is sure to erupt if we witness screamers like these in the 2018/19 season.
What's next?
He is in line to start for Chelsea in the Community Shield. With Azpilicueta shifted to the right-back position and Christensen not preferred by Sarri yet, Luiz is expected to form an integral part of the Blues' line up.