Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Chelsea: Gareth Southgate believes break might have helped Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s England chances
The postponement of football has been hard for many who were in great form before the enforced break.
However, for Ruben Loftus-Cheek it might have been exactly what was needed, and England manager Gareth Southgate believes it now means the player has a better chance of being involved in the European Championships because of it.
Loftus-Cheek was becoming a strong player in the Chelsea side last term, making 24 appearances and scoring six goals whilst picking up two assists, but he then suffered an Achilles injury which has kept him out for most of this season so far, per Transfermarkt. The £21.6m-valued player had just recovered in late February from that body blow but could not get any senior game-time before the season was halted.
Now with the European Championships not being played this summer and instead being deferred until next June, the 24-year-old will have a chance to impress the England manager.
Speaking about the Chelsea midfielder to the Evening Standard, Southgate said: “On moments of fate things do turn. I was talking with Ruben Loftus-Cheek a few days ago, he’s been out for a year. No way would he have got back for a tournament like that.
“Who knows what the next 12 months might look like for him and other young players who might not have played in the Premier League yet, who might emerge in certain positions to provide competition for places.”
It is hard to disagree with those comments as the attacking midfielder was given his England debut by Southgate back in November 2017, and was then involved in the World Cup squad that got to the semi-finals the following summer. This was down to his performances at Crystal Palace in the 2017/18 season, where he was on loan and quickly became a fan favourite at the Eagles.
This shows that, when fully fit, he is favoured by Southgate and clearly there is a good connection between the Three Lions manager and the Chelsea star. The player would probably not have been selected for Euro 2020 because of that injury had the tournament not been put back by a year.
However, with the England boss leaving the door open for him to get back into the reckoning, it should be very interesting to see what happens when the next Three Lions friendly comes about and many Blues fans may be wondering if Loftus-Cheek can return to the England setup.
Chelsea fans, do you think Loftus-Cheek can come back stronger and make England’s Euros squad next year? Comment below with your views!
