Thomas Tuchel has issued his verdict on midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek after chelsea’s defeat to Manchester City.
Loftus-Cheek has been all-but frozen out at Stamford Bridge over recent times, spending last season out on loan at Fulham following a stint at Crystal Palace previously.
But the Blues academy graduate has returned to the fray of late, first featuring during the Champions League win over Zenit before coming off the bench against Manchester City.
Against City, Loftus-Cheek was given 14 minutes of action, and while he couldn’t help the Blues turn around a one-goal deficit in the defeat, he still impressed head coach Tuchel.
“I was happy with Ruben, otherwise he could not have had the chance to come on,” Tuchel said, as cited by the official website.
“He played against Zenit and he played against Aston Villa, and now he played this 15 minutes. He could not be involved without deserving it.”
It was a surprise to many that Loftus-Cheek ended up staying at Chelsea beyond the summer transfer window.
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Amid a crowded midfield and the signing of Saúl Niguez on deadline, it didn’t look as if Loftus-Cheek would get any opportunities.
But it seems the 25-year-old is doing enough behind the scenes to earn minutes, and they are not just minutes in the cup either, with Tuchel clearly confident enough to trust the midfielder in big games like the one against Manchester City.