Ruben Loftus-Cheek retains place in sparingly changed England squad

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been named in England’s 23-man squad for the upcoming fixtures against Switzerland and Spain, both a part of the nascent UEFA Nations League.

GOALKEEPERS: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Alex McCarthy (Southampton), Jordan Pickford (Everton),

DEFENDERS: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), James Tarkowski (Burnley), Kieran Trippier (Tottenham Hotspur), Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

MIDFIELDERS/ATTACKERS: Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), Dele (Tottenham Hotspur), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).

Despite making only one 22-minute substitute appearance for Chelsea this season, Ruben has made the cut. In fact, most of those involved in England’s semi-final run in the World Cup have, with Gareth Southgate acknowledging that there was a need to maintain some continuity after their efforts this summer.

However, that’s not to say that the squad is entirely unchanged. Gary Cahill, who traveled to Russia, has been excluded, although that isn’t surprising given his recently-proclaimed “break” from international football. Jamie Vardy (retired), Ashley Young (dropped), Nick Pope (injured), and Phil Jones (injured) have all made way as well.

While the news of another call-up for Loftus-Cheek is encouraging, it’s all the more incentive for the youngster to fight for a starting berth at Chelsea. Regardless of how highly Ruben is viewed within the England setup, if he doesn’t get enough minutes for his club then his name won’t be on the list in the future. Here’s hoping he rises to the challenge, enjoys a successful spell with the national team during this international break, and many to follow.