Antonio Conte said he took David Luiz off against Roma because the Brazilian picked up a calf injury.
Luiz, who scored the opening goal in the 3-3 Champions League draw at Stamford Bridge, seemed angry at boss Conte’s decision to substitute him in the second half.
However, speaking at his post-match press conference, Conte explained that Luiz and Tiémoué Bakayoko – who managed to complete the 90 minutes – were both struggling.
Conte said: “It was good to protect him. After the first half the doctor said David had a pain in his calf and the same for Bakayoko with his groin.”
Conte opted to play Luiz in midfield and admitted afterwards that his tactical change had not paid off.
After goals from Luiz and Eden Hazard put the Blues 2-0 up, Roma hit back to take the lead before Hazard netted again to salvage a point, keeping his team top of Group C.
“I like to be honest and for sure I didn’t like the type of football we played for a lot of the game,” Conte said.
“I tried to protect my team and move my defenders into midfield but we lost our style of football. I didn’t like this.
“It is right to take the responsibility for this. You have to take the decision, sometimes good and sometimes bad. I am going home tonight not happy.
“We were 2-0 up but not in control of the game. I think the result was fair. We know Roma are a strong team but we gave away too much possession.
“I have to praise my players. They showed me a big effort and commitment, otherwise we would have lost this game.”