:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/4931591/158319785.0.jpg)
Here at blog headquarters, we're always looking for the little things that could lead to fantasy advantage. That could be Nicky Shorey cementing his place over Ian Harte earlier this season, or Michu playing as a number 9 for Swansea.
Very often, like the Michu situation, we're looking for players who are playing further up the pitch than their listed position. The latest situation to come to our attention is David Luiz being pressed into service as a defensive midfielder.
Rafael Benitez used [David Luiz] in the centre of midfield for the final 20 minutes of Chelsea's 6-1 win over Nordsjaelland – although the contest was effectively over, and Chelsea were set to be eliminated from the Champions League. "I was in a different position against Nordsjaelland, the manager pushing me upfield a bit," Luiz says. "We were winning 5-1 so I could be box to box, helping out the team."
Still, it showed that Benitez was considering the positional switch, and in today's 3-1 win over Monterrey in the World Club Cup semi-final, Luiz was used alongside Jon Obi Mikel from the start.
This is a direct result of another, related, bit of fantasy news, Oriol Romeu is out for the season.
Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu is expected to be out of action for six months after knee surgery.
The 21-year-old's anterior cruciate was reconstructed and his medial meniscus was repaired in an operation on Monday.
Spaniard Romeu was injured during Saturday's 3-1 win over Sunderland and returned to London rather than flying to Japan for the Club World Cup.
I'm not sure that Luiz in midfield is a slam dunk, either for Chelsea or for fantasy managers. Yes, he'll bring energy to the pitch that the team has lacked at times, but he'll also have to track the game all around him, and not just in front of him. That seems to me a recipe for more "David Luiz things" like his inevitable dumb yellow card.per match. Also, with Frank Lampard returning from injury (slowly) Luiz in midfield could be a short-term fix.
Still, it's something to keep your eye on.