Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was full of praise for Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s recent performance as he hopes the midfielder can maintain his form.
Thanks to his versatility, Loftus-Cheek has been Tuchel’s go-to utility player in the last year at Chelsea.
Under the German, the 26-year-old has played as a holding midfielder, a wing-back, and even a centre-back.
Loftus-Cheek’s tendency to play in central areas arguably makes him an interesting option in an inverted wing-back role and Tuchel was clearly happy with the player’s display in the draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
“I always struggle to tell him how good [his performance] was because I’m always in fear that he will drop one little percent in the next game,” the manager said about Loftus-Cheek on Chelsea TV.
“I feel he needs the support and the love from everybody around him, but at the same time, he also needs to be pushed.
“Sometimes he struggles to show everybody how strong he is.
“I was so, so happy that [he showed it] in the pre-season and the last two games, especially in the 90 minutes against Tottenham.
“So the next step is to not get lost in too much applause and positive feedback and just to do it again.
“Just do it again, please, Ruben. This is the next step for him.”
The manager was not the only one impressed by Loftus-Cheek’s performance against Spurs as club legend Pat Nevin described it as the midfielder’s best performance for the club.
Tuchel also highlighted how it is often difficult to pinpoint the best position for Loftus-Cheek, who has “so many weapons and skills” to play in several positions, but he felt that the wing-back role helped the midfielder get more freedom.
However, since both N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are out injured, Loftus-Cheek may have to play in midfield again for the trip to Leeds United’s Elland Road on Sunday.
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