Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been widely praised by Chelsea fans after shining as a makeshift centre-back in the side's 3-2 win against Luton on Wednesday.

The Blues were looking to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition, but they got off to the worst possible start when Reece Burke put Luton ahead inside two minutes.

Thomas Tuchel's side hit back through Saul Niguez, yet they went into the break behind as Harry Cornick restored Luton's lead in the 40th minute.

It appeared that Chelsea were in real danger of being knocked out by their Championship opponents, but second half goals from Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku got the job done and ensured that the west London outfit are now just one game away from another trip to Wembley.

While the team's performance was not wholly convincing, one player who did stand out was Loftus-Cheek as he was named man of the match.

Having spent the majority of his career as a central midfielder, the 26-year-old dropped into defence at Kenilworth Road, playing alongside Antonio Rudiger and Malang Sarr in a back three.

Despite his lack of experience in this role, Loftus-Cheek delivered an eye-catching display, leading to plenty of praise on social media.

Reacting to the England international's performance, one fan wrote on Twitter: 'Ruben Loftus-Cheek is different gravy though.'

Another added: 'Loftus-Cheek was terrific today. Man of the match for sure. Carries the ball with such elegance and style.'

Meanwhile, another supporter claimed: 'Also Ruben Loftus-Cheek is absolute Diesel. Lovely player to watch.'

Only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Chelsea in the Premier League this season, and it seems that Tuchel may have found another player who is capable of thriving at the back.

With Chelsea still competing on three fronts, Loftus-Cheek could get another chance as a central defender before the end of the season.