Chelsea: Three players who could be crucial in upcoming games

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Chelsea’s English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek (L) and Malmo’s Daniish defender Lasse Nielsen vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League group H football match Malmo FF v Chelsea FC in Malmo, Sweden on November 2, 2021. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. Ruben Loftus-Cheek

The main player who will be able to benefit from these injuries and who needs to absolutely stomp his authority now is Loftus-Cheek. The 25-year-old box-to-box midfielder is yet another Chelsea academy product who was relatively forgotten for a while, but is now back to show fans why he was hyped up so much in previous years. Loftus-Cheek was heavily involved in the 2018/19 season and he thrived under the management of Maurizio Sarri. However, he was out for most of the following season due to an Achilles tendon rupture he picked up in a charity match toward the end of the previous campaign. This hampered his route into the first team and Frank Lampard sent him away on loan in the 2020/21 season.

Loftus-Cheek was sent to Fulham on loan and although he played a lot of games for the Cottagers, he could not provide them with anything magical. The central midfielder was played in a more attacking role at Fulham, but that did not really work out for him and Tuchel has decided to change that now. At Chelsea, he usually plays in a more central role—like Kovacic—or in a deeper defensive role in the pivot. He seems to have adapted well with the new coaches and he has been playing some phenomenal football.

Not only is he defensively more aware now, but he still retains the ability to carry the ball forward and help out the attack. Along with that, Loftus-Cheek is an extremely technical player. His mechanical skills, such as his first touch and short passes, are amazing. The Englishman played brilliantly in the match against Southampton in the Premier League and also made an instant impact in the match against Norwich after he was subbed on. Lately, he also thrived against Malmo in the Champions League. Loftus-Cheek has to be the player who suffered the most due to injuries in recent years, but now is his chance to show everyone his true potential.

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