Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek was in good form against Frankfurt last night.
The midfielder put in a commanding display to help the Blues get a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final.
Supporters believe Loftus-Cheek should be one of the first names on the teamsheet for manager Maurizio Sarri:
Best player on the pitch today
— ∆ (@RLC_CFC) 2 May 2019
Absolute class.
— ⚽️ Chelsea JWZ ⚽️ (@ChelseaFC_Poll) 2 May 2019
Hope he stays fit. Future captain ?
— mokshyskee (@mokszycki123) 2 May 2019
Guys is a beast! Great game for him!
— saul cimet (@saulcimet) 2 May 2019
Reminds me of Essien, such a bully
— granit (@grandeisdead) 2 May 2019
Give him the number 10 “if” hazard leaves. Seriously Mourinho was right about him. He said we don’t need pogba we got Ruben Loftus-cheek. Amazing player.
— ozzy osman (@osmansaid28) 2 May 2019
Needs to improve his pass accuracy & make more keys passes, he’ll be something like Zizou or Iniesta in the future ?
— loading… ✪ (@hamiltonmatos20) 2 May 2019
MoTM for me
— ArIsGH?? (@aristokush) 2 May 2019
Some did criticise Sarri‘s substitution of the midfielder seven minutes from time but the Blues boss did confirm the reasoning behind the decision in the post-match press conference.
Loftus-Cheek has been unable to train fully this season due to a chronic back problem and is unable to play the full 90 minutes.
Sarri revealed that the 23-year-old asked to be substituted because he was suffering from cramp. Considering Chelsea play on Sunday, it’s unlikely that he’ll be fit to start the game.
However, Loftus-Cheek’s recent performances and game time suggest that he may have won his battle with Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley for a regular spot in a midfield three.
