New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said that defender David Luiz will be a Chelsea cornerstone this season, even as Barcelona makes noises in relation to acquiring the cult-hero defender.
According to the Mirror, Luiz sat out the Londoners' win over AC Milan in a pre-season friendly in New Jersey, USA, on Sunday, fuelling more rumours.
However, the 26-year-old was rested as a precaution after picking up a minor hamstring injury in training and will be back in harness on Saturday for the final game of the trip, against Roma in Washington, the report said.
Mourinho believes Luiz is integral to his thoughts for the upcoming campaign, having announced in Malaysia last month that the Brazilian has to play, the report added.
