Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson is ready to hand Vedran Corluka a central defensive role to cover for a spate of injuries.

"I have been saying all season that he may be a centre- half for the future and now he has the chance to show us," said Eriksson.

"The few minutes he played in the middle against Chelsea I thought Vedran did well," reckoned the manager who, earlier in the campaign, had set out a strong case for a new breed of central defender.

"Corluka is a good defender but he is also a good footballer. He doesn't just win the ball and knock it away. He sees things early, has good vision and passes the ball well. When you talk about central defenders those attributes make him special.

"What is his best position for the future? If you forced me to say something I would say he would be a very good centre-half. I think the future is to have footballers at the heart of the defence.

"The ideal is to have two tough tacklers and headers of the ball who can also play football when they have it at their feet. That is the best combination and Vedran fits that description."