Thomas Tuchel and Kai Havertz are on the same page ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
The Germany international has had a spell out of the team recently but made his return as a late substitute in the Blues' 1-0 round of 16 Champions League first-leg win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.
It remains to be seen if Havertz is handed a start against Man United this afternoon, but Tuchel has been discussing how he can get the best out of the 21-year-old who joined Chelsea for a £71m transfer fee from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.
Specifically, the youngster's best position.
During Frank Lampard's reign as head coach, Havertz was deployed as an '8' in a 4-3-3 system often alongside Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante in the engine room.
But Tuchel's switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation opens up the possibility for the attacking midfielder to play in one of the three advanced positions.
"He is a unique player,” Tuchel said in his pre-match press conference. "It’s not so clear where he needs to settle, does he need to settle on one special position? Or is he kind of a hybrid player.
"Today, I would say he’s in between a nine and a 10, something in between.
"He’s very comfortable in the box, he’s very comfortable in high positions, he’s very good in offensive headers, he has good timing to arrive in the box, good finishing, good composure in the box, around the box, and very comfortable in high positions so between nine and 10."
Judging by what Havertz has previously said about his favourite position, it is clear that the pair are in agreement.
"I played, I think, every offensive position at Leverkusen," Havertz said earlier in the season. "I played as a right winger, a No10, a No6, No8 – sometimes as a striker as well. But for me it is very important to have that flexibility on the pitch and to be creative, those are the things that I like.
"I think I can play many positions but of course for me my best position is as a No10. I can play on the right side as well or as a striker. To be honest I am happy to stay on the pitch and I think I am flexible."
