Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 8y

Chelsea's David Luiz looking forward to learning from Antonio Conte

David Luiz says he is excited to improve and learn under Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte as he begins his second spell at the club.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's 2-2 draw with Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, Conte said he was prepared to work on Luiz's defensive flaws and insisted that, at 29, the Brazil international is "a fantastic age to become one of the best defenders in the world."

Luiz, who finalised a shock return to Stamford Bridge from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day, now looks set to start against Liverpool on Friday after captain John Terry was ruled out of the match with strained ankle ligaments.

And the centre-back insists he wants to keep working on his game with Conte, who has a formidable reputation for improving defenders based on his work with Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andre Barzagli during his time in charge of Juventus and Italy.

"I have tried to improve and mature day by day," Luiz told the Evening Standard. "When you try new things of course you improve, that's why I tried a new league.

"But I want to continue to improve here. I never want to think that I know everything, I want to learn every day. I feel at home, I feel like I never left. I have a great relationship with everyone.

"The coach [Conte] loves football, that's why he's a passionate guy on the bench, celebrating and supporting the team. He's a specialist in tactics and training in a tactical way, I'm excited to learn under him.

"Every single coach has been important in my professional life. I want to learn, especially with him and his Italian style in a tactical way -- this can make the difference."

Chelsea expect Terry to be sidelined for approximately 10 days, ruling him out of Friday's clash with Liverpool as well as the EFL Cup third-round tie against Leicester City, leaving the 35-year-old in a race to return to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sept. 24.

Gary Cahill should keep his starting place on Friday alongside Luiz at the centre of the Chelsea defence after sources told ESPN FC that the Football Association would not punish the England international for his tweets and comments about Andre Marriner after the Swansea draw.

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