Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte praised Victor Moses for justifying his surprise selection with an "incredible" performance in Saturday's 2-0 win over Hull City.
Moses earned a first Premier League start for Chelsea since May 2013 in place of Cesc Fabregas as Conte shifted to a 3-4-3 formation at the KCOM Stadium, deploying the Nigeria international as a right wing-back to provide greater protection for a struggling defence.
Second-half goals from Willian and Diego Costa secured a convincing win as Chelsea kept only their second clean sheet of the season, while Moses was a constant threat with his pace and direct running as well as carrying out his defensive duties responsibly.
"Moses played an incredible game -- in defensive situations and offensive situations, he was fantastic because he was working very hard," Conte said after the match. "He deserved to play, and he showed me my choice was right."
Wing-back is not a role Moses has been accustomed to playing in his career but Conte added: "Yes, but if he plays in this way it's fantastic. I also think Pedro [can play there]. It gives us the opportunity to use wingers -- if we have wingers who can play in this role, it gives us great options."
Moses was replaced by Pedro Rodriguez in the 85th minute and after the match the 25-year-old revealed that he has picked up a hamstring injury that will be assessed by Chelsea's medical staff.
But there were few other negatives for Chelsea as they bounced back from consecutive Premier League defeats against top-four rivals Liverpool and Arsenal, and after the match Conte hinted that he could persist with the three-man defence that gave his team a more solid foundation at the KCOM Stadium.
"The facts speak [for themselves]," Conte added. "When you concede many goals in every game, and show you're not compact, the coach and the players must find a solution.
"It's important to go the other way and find the best solution. Now we have a solution -- we can play with three defenders or four. It depends on the game, on the opponent, but I think [the three-man defence] is a good way.
"The principles are always to try to use the ball well, to win the ball back, to maintain a good balance, and to give always width. [Whether] we play with three defenders or four, it's important to bring these principles.
"I'm very happy for the players, because when you finish with a clean sheet after you concede in the last four games, two or three goals, it's important to find confidence."