Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has expressed his delight at having made his first start for the club since January 2017, after lining up against MOL Vidi in the Europa League on Thursday.
The Blues won 1-0, courtesy of a second half Álvaro Morata goal, where Loftus-Cheek played for just over an hour before being withdrawn for Ross Barkley.
Loftus-Cheek spent last season on loan with Crystal Palace, making 24 appearances in the Premier League, subsequently earning himself a place in England’s World Cup squad.
However, he has found opportunities harder to come by, since returning to Stamford Bridge, with injuries also playing a part.
Now under new management in Maurizio Sarri, Loftus-Cheek is back enjoying playing football for the club. Talking to Chelsea TV, as quoted by MailOnline, Loftus-Cheek said:
It’s good to be back out there.
I had a niggle on my back which I had to take carefully, because I’ve had a lot of injuries there.
I just had to stay patient with that really. It felt good.
Loftus-Cheek also explained that he enjoys the style of play Sarri has brought to the club since his summer switch from Napoli, claiming that he believes the Blues will get better and better as the season goes on. He continued:
It’s positive, always on the front foot, wanting to press and attacking football, creative football.
I still feel we’ve got a lot of potential and we’re still winning games. It’s very exciting to see what this team can do this season.
