This Sunday, in Russia, we’re fully expecting Ruben Loftus-Cheek to be in the starting eleven when Gareth Southgate selects his side to take on Panama.
An injury to the Tottenham Hotspur midfield player, Dele Alli, has left a void in the England midfield that Loftus-Cheek is expected to fill.
In the first group game of England’s 2018 tournament, Loftus-Cheek came off the bench to produce a decent cameo performance.
However, having spent last season out on loan, at Crystal Palace, whilst watching on as Chelsea added Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley to the midfield contingent at Stamford Bridge, there are doubts as to where the 22-year-old will be playing next season.
In quotes that appear in the tabloid publication, the Mirror, Ruben has commented about how difficult it is, at Chelsea, to come through the ranks, remarking,
“Ever since I was in the Chelsea academy, I’ve had that awareness that people were saying I would be the one to breakthrough since JT. I believed I could but the opportunities didn’t quite come for me.
“It’s hard to keep training at your best, but I made sure I did for when the time comes for when I did get opportunities like Palace.
“But I do understand that Chelsea is a big club and there is pressure on managers to win games, trophies.”
Indeed there is and that pressure is, we feel, partly responsible for youth not really being given a chance to progress into the first-team squad at Stamford Bridge.
However, on the evidence of what we’ve seen, in the past twelve months, from Loftus-Cheek, we believe that he should be given the chance to shine at Chelsea and that another loan move, or even a sale, shouldn’t be allowed to happen.
But, is that something you concur with or have you a different opinion?
Please feel free to drop your views into the comment facility beneath this article.