David Luiz's reputation as a buccaneering centre-half prone to maraud upfield precedes him these days, though that same wanderlust clearly grips the Brazilian even when he is employed as a midfield shield.

Rafael Benítez thrust the 25-year-old alongside Mikel John Obi against Monterrey on Thursday night in the hope he would choke the Mexicans' own creative threat and, while the experiment appeared successful, David Luiz still refused to conform, with his midfield partner even taken by surprise. "It was a bit of a shock to see David lining up there," said Mikel, who had been unaware of the interim first-team manager's plans until the team's pre-match meeting.

"I said to him as we got on to the pitch: 'Where shall I play?' He said he'd play the holding role and that I should go forward. I said OK but, when the game started, I looked up and he was already up their end of the pitch.

"David is a great player, but I don't know if this is going to be a long-term thing. I think he needs to play at the back. It was a good performance from him – he kept the ball well and played it well – but when it's not your normal position you sometimes lose something. He is a great player and a strong character who can only get better for this club. He keeps going and doing his thing. Fair play to him."