Chelsea boss Frank Lampard could be set for positive news on the injury front as Ruben Loftus-Cheek has insisted that he’s closing in on a return to action.
The 23-year-old has yet to feature so far this season after he sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in the back end of the last campaign.
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In turn, he has spent the last few months working on his recovery and rehabilitation with the hope of eventually playing a key role for the Blues midway through the current season.
Based on his comments below, it sounds as though the England international is feeling confident and comfortable with the progress he has made off the pitch and is hopeful of pushing for a role in Lampard’s plans sooner rather than later.
“It’s going well!” he is quoted as telling VERSUS. “It’s been a long time and I’ve had a few setbacks as well.
“It’s never been just a straight path but I’m close now…I’ve been running and moving, I feel I’m right on the edge. I’m close and I can’t wait.”
With Chelsea continuing to compete on multiple fronts so far this season, Lampard will undoubtedly welcome the additional quality and depth that Loftus-Cheek could provide in midfield, while he has shown enough since making his breakthrough at Stamford Bridge to suggest he can play an important part in their pursuit of success with 12 goals and 10 assists in 72 outings.
While he may not be considered a young player any more given he’s now 23 years of age, with other youth products such as Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham all getting key roles this season, Loftus-Cheek will surely be desperate to add his name to the list under Lampard.
That said, as they continue to sit in the top four in the Premier League table and top of their Champions League group, he may well find it difficult to break back into the starting line-up when he is eventually ready to feature.
