Conte plans to play versatile David Luiz as centre-back

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said Wednesday he will field deadline-day signing David Luiz as a centre-back, despite the Brazilian's high-profile defensive miscues in the past.

Luiz returned to Stamford Bridge in the final hours of the transfer window, clinching a reported £32-million deal in a move that came out of nowhere.

Conte struggled to land a coveted centre-back throughout the summer, even though he launched substantial bids for Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and AC Milan's Alessio Romagnoli.

There were questions as to where the Italian manager would play Luiz given his previous life as a midfielder. He assumed a holding role at times during his first stint with the Blues.

But Conte's in no mood to experiment.

John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, and Gary Cahill remain his only other senior options in the centre of defence - at least until Kurt Zouma recovers from injury.

Related: David Luiz completes stunning return to Chelsea

"I think David Luiz is a centre-back, he's played a lot of games in that position," Conte told Chelsea's website. "I know sometimes he's played as a central midfielder, but in my mind the idea is to utilise him in the right position, which, for me, is centre-back.

"He's played with Chelsea previously and he will bring a good personality."

Always with a smile on his face, Luiz will indeed bring the silly and the laughter back to a locker room that turned under Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese was the one to send Luiz packing for Paris, so unhappy was he with the player's lapses in concentration.

It's true that some of his best performances in recent years have come on the other end of the pitch. In fact, his dramatic header against the west London side helped secure PSG's passage to the quarter-finals of the 2014-15 Champions League.

Conte, however, is determined to get the best out of Luiz and fellow summer signing Marcos Alonso. They could potentially allow Chelsea to play with a back-three, with Alonso taking over as the club's left wing-back.

"We need to put them into our idea of football. Now we must work on our defensive situation and with the defensive line," said Conte. "We need to improve our physical and tactical condition."

Chelsea resumes Premier League action with a trip to Swansea City on Sunday.