Antonio Rudiger put in a stellar performance for Chelsea in the recent 3-2 win over Leeds United, despite speculation continually linking him with a move away from Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid look to be frontrunners to snap up the German defender on a free transfer next summer, with Rudiger seemingly on his way out the club having failed to pen fresh terms.
The Germany international will undoubtedly leave a gaping hole in the Chelsea defence if he does depart the club next summer, though his display at the weekend proved he can still be a key asset to Tuchel for the remainder of the campaign.
Rudiger's darting runs from the left centre-back position have led to questions over whether he could slot in at left wing-back in the absence of Ben Chilwell.
Carefree Chelsea’s Scott Clayton (SC) spoke to trends writer Jake Stokes (JS) on a recent Carefree Chelsea show about whether Tuchel should entertain the idea of a positional switch.
SC: “Somebody suggested playing Rudiger as a left wing-back. What do you think about that? Because I was thinking 'yes, he gets into the box and does his thing'.
“He was smiling on the floor as he got that penalty [against Leeds]. But, I can’t see Antonio Rudiger being a wing-back, as good as he is, he’s too good in our backline that moving him across would be silly.”
JS: “I just think putting him there would be like a slingshot. You pull him back and release him and he just goes darting down the wing taking out anyone he runs into. I think he’s got that left centre-back role as his own now.
“When those spaces open up I don’t think there is anyone better at driving into them. We saw against Leeds that him getting forward, even if it is unorthodox, is exciting to see.
“It’s something that Chelsea need to tie down [his contract] even if it's going to be a tough mission.”
Would you try Rudiger at left wing-back? Follow our Carefree Chelsea team members Scott, Jake and Renuka on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
