Having failed to find form since his return from injury, Ruben Loftus-Cheek embarked on a loan move to Chelsea’s next-door neighbours Fulham at the beginning of the season in search of first-team football – but is the 24-year-old starting to get back to his best at Craven Cottage?
The Chelsea loanee has been a regular feature in Fulham’s line-up throughout the campaign but hadn’t quite showcased the talent he had previously displayed before his long term ACL injury.
Many had began to doubt his future as a top-level footballer as the Englishman looked set to leave Chelsea fans wondering what could have been, but a visit from Manchester United on match-week 18 proved to be the perfect opportunity for Ruben to show Chelsea and Fulham fans exactly what they’ve been missing.
Despite a 2-1 defeat, the Lewisham born midfielder put on a blistering display, standing out as one of Fulham’s best players on the night. Driving the midfield forward with positive runs and some exquisite touches (including one that turned Harry Maguire inside out) were nearly capped off with a goal but for a solid stop from David De Gea.
Loftus-Cheek connected the midfield and the forward line excellently, playing in a right-sided number 10 role that allowed him to showcase his attacking prowess and power in the final third. As well as individual quality, Ruben showed an innate understanding with teammate Ademola Lookman to create multiple chances that on another day could have seen the Cottagers take something from the game.
Perhaps the most impressive element of Loftus-Cheek’s performance was the urgency he displayed in getting the ball forward. His pace and creativity caused Manchester United problems on the break, moving between the lines and making direct runs in between Shaw and Maguire to create space and most importantly – chances.
Having witnessed such a display, it’s difficult not to wonder how the Chelsea loanee would fair at his parent club.
Breaking between the lines and possessing creativity in attacking phases is something Chelsea have been lacking in recent weeks, and Loftus-Cheek’s power and direct running could be the missing piece in the Blues’ lethargic looking midfield that could see them begin to fire on all cylinders once again.
You can watch the full highlights below:
Ruben Loftus Cheek vs Manchester United (H) pic.twitter.com/ud5S57OBYf
— N (@Nino12x) January 21, 2021