Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has suggested that he is ready for a positive season with Blues following his return from loan. The 25-year-old spent last season with west London rivals Fulham, enduring an inconsistent season as the Whites suffered an instant relegation back to the Championship. In the end, he made 32 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring just once. Loftus-Cheek returned to Chelsea this summer following the expiry of his loan and after a frustrating few seasons at Stamford Bridge, now feels capable of showing Thomas Tuchel exactly what he is capable of.
Ruben Loftus Cheek said: “I feel really fit now and strong, and hopefully the injuries stay away. Last season was my first full injury-free season which is a massive positive for me, because I always used to get niggles. Even though I was fit I’d be out for a week or a couple of days, miss a couple of matches, but last season was good for my body to be fit every training session and available for every game.”
Despite having suffered relegation with Fulham, the Englishman also revealed that it was a season that could be crucial to his development as he attempts to get back to top form both from a mental and physical perspective.
Ruben Loftus Cheek added: “I had last season as a season where I can find my feet and it definitely felt like that at the start. I was struggling mentally and needed to focus on just taking risks in training and get that feel back. But it eventually came and I was doing really well in games, so I’ve had my injury and I’ve had a season now to get fit and feel confident in my body and this season is where I hit the ground running.”
Loftus-Cheek had previously been linked with a Chelsea exit, with the likes of Lazio and Southampton having been credited with an interest in his signature. He still has three years left on his current contract at Stamford Bridge.
