Antonio Conte has praised the contributions of David Luiz and Victor Moses this season as the pair prepare to confront José Mourinho, a manager who was never convinced of their value during his second stint at Chelsea.
Both are expected to start against Mourinho’s Manchester United on Sunday having played significant roles in a tweaked three-man defensive system, a selection that has yet to be breached following wins against Hull and Leicester. Moses had spent the last three seasons on loan at Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham having failed to convince Mourinho he was worth pursuing on the wing, but has now reinvented himself as a wing-back in Conte’s 3-4-3 formation.
The Nigeria international revealed last week that Mourinho had never explained to him why he was continually being dispatched on year-long deals to other Premier League clubs. “I thought, in my head: ‘He’s got his own players already.’ I think we chatted a few times on the phone, but that was it.”
Yet he has taken his chance under Conte with encouraging displays since defensive frailties forced the manager to switch systems.
“Victor Moses is playing very well,” said Conte, who had resisted the temptation to send the 25-year-old on another temporary move. “At the start of the season I said to the club that I had to have a look at him, because I wanted to assess him with my own eyes. And he’s a very good guy. I’m pleased to have him in our squad. He’s a fantastic player and a fantastic man as well, and this is important for me.”
David Luiz, a European Cup and Europa League winner in his first spell at Chelsea, had lasted only one season under Mourinho before the club sold him to Paris Saint-Germain, with the management content to sanction his departure.
The Brazilian’s return just before the transfer deadline was a surprise but his influence is already growing. “For David Luiz, coming back to Chelsea was a great challenge, but he’s started very well,” Conte said. “He is playing with great concentration and focus, with a great will to show why he’s decided to come back to wear this shirt, and to prove it was the right choice for him.
“We took the decision, myself and club, to bring him here. He brings good experience. In his career he’s won a lot and played with good teams. He’s very good, with a good technique. When you have David Luiz in the side you can play out from the back and, for my idea of football, I love this: to start to play from the back.
“He’s also a good defender. We are working a lot with him, but also the other defenders, to stay always focused in every single moment of the game. But I’m pleased that David Luiz came back to Chelsea.”
David Luiz is expected to begin in the middle of the back three against United, with John Terry again among the substitutes despite having recovered from an ankle injury. Cesc Fàbregas and Branislav Ivanovic are still nursing muscular injuries, while the fitness of Oscar and Willian will be assessed after the pair recently returned from compassionate leave in Brazil.