Promoted to the first-team by José Mourinho during the 2014-15 season, Chelsea tried to take a slightly different path with Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Over the past three season, while most of his former teammates in the Academy have gone out on loan and some have even moved on to other teams on permanent moves, he had remained around the fringes of the senior squad, collecting a grand total of 22 appearances but just 6 starts and 567 minutes all told (an average of just over 25 minutes per appearances).
While he was frequently on the bench, after three seasons it’s been decided that he needed some proper starts’ minutes and this summer he finally joined the Loan Army, heading across town to Crystal Palace to work under Frank de Boer. So far so good, as in his debut for Palace, RLC played all 90 minutes and impressed even as his team lost 3-0 at home to newly promoted Huddersfield.
Loftus-Cheek central if Palace are to make history https://t.co/kBnwKHlvne
— Mario Vasconcelos (@Mario_AMV) August 18, 2017
As the tactical review on the Premier League’s official site points out, RLC was the most fouled player on the opening weekend of the new season and his second-half performance, once he was moved into his proper position in midfield, was one that we should all be hoping that he gets a chance to build on. Palace go to Anfield this weekend, looking for a fourth straight win there.
Meanwhile, in a longer-term outlook, Loftus-Cheek, as most loanees, remains hopeful of a future with the Blues.
"It's tough being at Chelsea. I work hard every day in training. It's a massive club with really good players so you don't get the opportunity every weekend. Coming to Palace, I'm really excited to be playing. There's still massive competition here."
"Yeah, definitely [I still see a future at Chelsea]. Chelsea are my club, I support them. Right now I'm fully committed to Palace and whatever happens, who knows? I could have gone earlier and who knows what could have happened? I didn't and decided to stay. I'm getting older and now was the time to leave."
-Ruben Loftus-Cheek; source: Sky Sports via London Evening Standard
Given Chelsea’s lack of depth in midfield, Loftus-Cheek’s loan is just one of several questionable moves this summer by Chelsea. But the rumors had started before last season had even ended, so it very well could’ve been part of a long-term plan. As Ruben himself says, it was now the “time to leave” and try a different approach.
Hopefully the different approach will eventually result in a different outcome than most of the rest of Chelsea’s Loan Army.