Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has explained playing Rubem Loftus-Cheek at centre-half for their FA Cup win at Luton.

Tuchel made the call given injury absences.

"We were open before the match and told everybody we had players in some positions they do not prefer, like Callum Hudson-Odoi as a wing-back and like Ruben," Tuchel revealed.

"We need them and we need them right now. It's the moment to step up and not be too angry or disappointed about the last week. This was the moment to show true team spirit and give the very best in an unfamiliar position, and they did.

"I was very happy with the way we won the game and how we played the game. I did not over-expect performance-wise with a fancy game. What we did was very good from the mental aspect and it showed true character. That's why I am very happy about it."

Tuchel did not rule out deploying the midfielder further back in the future, claiming such drastic changes can often emerge from emergency situations.

"It would not be the first time where a situation like this is the foundation for somebody finding a new position in the squad," he continued.

"He did very well in the middle of the back three after a shy start. He grew into the match and found his top performance on the day, which helped us a lot."

Yet Tuchel feels Loftus-Cheek's deep skillset still best suits a role in the centre of the field, which is where he was moved to in the latter stages at Luton.

"When he did it in the last 20 or 25 minutes, in the single number six position, this is his best position to have the most influence," added the boss.

"He can impose his dribbling, driving with the ball and physicality higher up the pitch."