Ruben Loftus-Cheek played as a centre-back against Luton Town. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has given his thoughts on being used as a centre-back by Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea beat Luton Town by a 3-2 scoreline yesterday. His side struggled in the cup tie but were the eventual winners on the night as they qualified for the quarter-finals in the FA Cup.
Coming into this fixture, Tuchel had revealed that he had a long list of injuries whose effects were felt in the starting lineup he fielded on the night. There were heavy rotations, especially in the defence, as nine changes were made to the team that featured in the Carabao Cup final.
Speaking in the post-match interview (h/t Chelsea official website), Loftus-Cheek has conveyed that he was surprised to know about his new position. The midfielder added that he used to play as a central defender during his days in the academy, but never it much. However, the Cobham graduate mentioned that he was given the freedom to step out this time around, which made him enjoy the experience.
“It came as a surprise to me! A lot of our defenders have got niggles and there’s some players who played 120 minutes plus penalties at the weekend. I played centre-back when I was 12 or 13, for a season or two, and I never liked it! But tonight was a bit different, I played as a centre-back in a back four when I was younger. This time I had more licence to step out and create the attack from the start, so I enjoyed it.”
We found it very difficult to shut down the hosts on the night due to our defensive setup. Chelsea cannot really blame the 26-year-old for his shortcomings as the situation forced the boss’ hand to play him there. That being said, it eventually did pay off as Loftus-Cheek teed up Timo Werner to score our second to tie the game.
Our comeback victory was down to the late push we made after the finish from Werner. Romelu Lukaku put us ahead to help us get through to the next round in a cup match that was far from easy for us. Loftus-Cheek’s license to roam forward did make an impact as it allowed him to pick out the German striker for the equaliser.
Fortunately, we have been handed another defensive option if we need Loftus-Cheek’s services in a similar role in the future. Perhaps we could get an idea based on the next update provided by the 48-year-old coach on the squad when we face off against Burnley in the Premier League.
However, we would hope that the Englishman would not have to play in the centre of the defence once again. His services are better off in midfield, having impressed when he has been given time. But let’s wait and see what lies in store for us in the build-up to the game on Saturday.
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