Thomas Tuchel has been tasked with getting the most out of his Chelsea squad in recent weeks as injuries have piled up and forced him to go deeper into his squad for solutions. One such example is Timo Werner, who has struggled since his move from RB Leipzig, but appears to be finding form.
Another example is that of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a player who has been tipped for great things but has often fallen to the wayside as managers come and go. The 26-year-old came through the Cobham academy and his stature and strength made him an ideal fit for a bustling midfielder.
However, after last season’s loan move to Fulham that didn’t go as planned, it looked like he would be a squad player at best. While that’s been the role he has facilitated for the first half of the season, the last few games have been very different.
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The midfielder has actually been used as a right-wing-back by Tuchel in a reinvention of his playing style and position. In recent matches, Reece James has started on the right of a back three, often overlapping while Loftus-Cheek tucks inside to operate in a more preferred midfield area.
This means he is able to do all of the things he is good at compared to when he played in the two-man midfield and struggled slightly more. It allows for the academy graduate to fit into Tuchel’s side slightly better, opening up a brighter future at the club then a few weeks prior.
The German coach has since urged him to continue impressing: “We want him to show everybody in the stadium his potential and not only us on the training ground. These are the next steps for him and we will encourage him to do so.”
The reinvention of Loftus-Cheek and the added versatility to his game makes him an ideal option, but it also potentially ruins the transfer plans of former boss Jose Mourinho. Reports from il Romanista, per The Mirror, claims that the manager is interested in bringing the midfielder across to AS Roma to play for him.
He would be the latest of a raft of players that made the move from the Premier League to play in Serie A under Mourinho such as Tammy Abraham, Rui Patricio and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The Portuguese coach has also been on the lookout for a midfield option, with Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka linked alongside Loftus-Cheek.
With a contract until 2024 and a sign of improvement, the 26-year-old could be set to stay as a regular player for Tuchel, with the rest of the season to continue to impress.
