Ruben Loftus-Cheek got to start for Chelsea during the Premier League season opener vs Brighton and Hove Albion but the England international failed to perform.
The 24-year-old is another one of those players who has failed to fulfil his potential at Chelsea and some pundits have even predicted that the Blues might soon look to sell him off.
Frank Lampard though has been pretty supportive of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and before Chelsea’s league clash vs Liverpool, the manager chose to publicly back the midfielder.
The manager told the press: ‘I know Ruben’s story probably second best to how he knows it. Ruben had a terrible injury, one he worked very hard to come back from over the course of last season.
‘He was just about fit to play Under-23 games when lockdown came in, worked incredibly hard in restart, got a start against Aston Villa, was due to start against Bayern Munich but had a bit of an issue on the day of the game, and trained brilliantly to get fit again for the start of the season.
‘If there is harsh criticism of him in a game against Brighton then it is certainly very harsh, because carrying an injury like he has has been difficult for him, and he’s put a lot of hours in.
‘He’s a hugely talented player, a great lad, and there will be lots more to come from Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
‘Unfortunately, the nature of this game is very reactionary and people will say it how they see it, but knowing Ruben’s story he has fought back really hard to get where he is, and he’s a very talented player.’
It’s true that Loftus-Cheek’s career has been marred by constant injuries and he will get the whole of the 2020/21 season to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.
But, at the same time, we are pretty confident that Frank Lampard will not risk using him in midfield against a team like Liverpool on Sunday. The manager has a series of players who can perform the same role as Ruben Loftus-Cheek so the England international is likely to warm the benches when Klopp’s men come to town.
