6 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

Like Coco says, there is room for all 4 of them. Hazard on the left wing, Hudson-Odoi on the right wing, Loftus-Cheek LCM and Kovacic playing the Jorginho role.

I think Loftus-Cheek's defensive contribution has improved a great deal in recent years. I also think there is too much focus on what our attacking players can contribute to the side defensively. How about we focus on what they can do to improve our attack, because that is where we need to improve the most right now.

Given fullbacks are judged a lot on what they offer going forward, it's only fair wingers and especially CAMs are asked the same question the other way.

If we played 3/4 players at a time with little to no defensive nous any team of remote quality would punish us. I actually think CHO is underrated from a defensive aspect and is actually pretty good at cutting the passing lanes and while RLC is improving that aspect, him and Hazard starting on the same side still leaves to many holes to exploit, especially given we have two bang average LBs aswell.

Injured again 

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/03/18/ruben-loftus-cheek-out-of-england-qualifiers

1 hour ago, rtwelch said:

Injured again 

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/03/18/ruben-loftus-cheek-out-of-england-qualifiers

I'm hoping he's "injured" rather than actually out. 

Probably just pro-cautionary to protect his back. 

Brilliant late winner: tenacious, powerful, it was the one moment from yesterday which made me proud. You could see how much it meant to him too. His goalscoring capability from midfield is a real asset, and it is especially important considering the paucity of goals provided by his midfield colleagues. He is averaging a goal every 181 minutes (i.e. one every two games). 

He has scored as many goals as Jorginho, Kovacic and Barkley put together this season, despite having played a third of the minutes of the former, and half the minutes of each of the other two. He is gradually working his way into our plans and I couldn't be happier to see it - it's been a long time coming. 

Should be starting, adding goals from midfield and height to the team meaning we can play a player at left-back who can do the job. Win-win. 

Why didn't he get a start? Only Sarri knows. If this is the game for rotation, surely he'd be picked by form. He started Europa league games recently, so there's no fitness problem there.

He was injured and pulled out of England squad.

Played yesterday, will likely play Wednesday, Sunday and then will be injured again.

The curse of having injuries that will not heal.

Top player yet unless a 'miracle' solution is found will never realize his potential 

 

1 hour ago, Strider6003 said:

The curse of having injuries that will not heal.

It’s unusual for one of our players to suffer from a prolonged/repeated injury. The one thing I think our club has nailed down fantastically is our medical/physio teams. We rarely suffer from injuries or players missing prolonged periods of times.

I read an interview where he was explaining that his back injuries are due to him having a curved spine and this causing problem. Apparently there is no fix but he just has to manage it correctly. He said he’s been doing yoga and core strength excercises to help. 

We just have to hope that it doesn’t impact his. Career too much because we’re finally starting to see his potential. 

13 minutes ago, JM7 said:

I read an interview where he was explaining that his back injuries are due to him having a curved spine and this causing problem. Apparently there is no fix but he just has to manage it correctly. He said he’s been doing yoga and core strength excercises to help. 

We just have to hope that it doesn’t impact his. Career too much because we’re finally starting to see his potential. 

Plus, he's a big, physical player who invites contact.  

I read an interview where he was explaining that his back injuries are due to him having a curved spine and this causing problem. Apparently there is no fix but he just has to manage it correctly. He said he’s been doing yoga and core strength excercises to help. 

We just have to hope that it doesn’t impact his. Career too much because we’re finally starting to see his potential. 

1 hour ago, EdinburghBlue said:

It’s unusual for one of our players to suffer from a prolonged/repeated injury. The one thing I think our club has nailed down fantastically is our medical/physio teams. We rarely suffer from injuries or players missing prolonged periods of times.

I think Ampadu has a similar problem too yet it goes under the radar due to him not being a regular on the bench. 

4 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

I think Ampadu has a similar problem too yet it goes under the radar due to him not being a regular on the bench. 

Growing pains apparently. This is natural and why young players should be especially closely monitored during their developing period.

4 hours ago, JM7 said:

I read an interview where he was explaining that his back injuries are due to him having a curved spine and this causing problem. Apparently there is no fix but he just has to manage it correctly. He said he’s been doing yoga and core strength excercises to help. 

We just have to hope that it doesn’t impact his. Career too much because we’re finally starting to see his potential. 

Just remove it like they did with Moratas. 

11 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

Just remove it like they did with Moratas. 

?

The strength he shows at times is a massive asset and something every Premier League side loves to see in their team. Our midfield is incredibly lightweight, we need somebody like Loftus-Cheek in there. I would play him over all of our midfielders apart from Kante.

46 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

The strength he shows at times is a massive asset and something every Premier League side loves to see in their team. Our midfield is incredibly lightweight, we need somebody like Loftus-Cheek in there. I would play him over all of our midfielders apart from Kante.

4 - 2 - 3 - 1 with Kante, (healthy) RLC midfield would be crazy, would be up there amongst the best in the world. 

 

Not too far behind Kante as our best midfielder imo. I rate him that highly. Compares to them Jorignho, kova and Barkley are pub players.

I know he's struggled with some niggling injuries this season but it's crazy he hasn't has a run of 5 or so games starting in the team to build up some form and momentum. 

He's a massive creative outlet in the midfield, one of the biggest things missing from the team for large parts of the season. 

12 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

I know he's struggled with some niggling injuries this season but it's crazy he hasn't has a run of 5 or so games starting in the team to build up some form and momentum. 

He's a massive creative outlet in the midfield, one of the biggest things missing from the team for large parts of the season. 

Because every time he has lots of minutes in relitevely small spaces of time his injury tends to flare up, like last time when he played most of the game against Southampton then started against Forest three days later only to have to go off before half time.

Ruben's role is one of the few things Sarri is getting right at the minute, and I think an impact super sub is the right type of role for him going forward aswell.

3 hours ago, Argo said:

Because every time he has lots of minutes in relitevely small spaces of time his injury tends to flare up, like last time when he played most of the game against Southampton then started against Forest three days later only to have to go off before half time.

Ruben's role is one of the few things Sarri is getting right at the minute, and I think an impact super sub is the right type of role for him going forward aswell.

I think that's harsh. He has had injury concerns, but he managed 11 full games on the spin for palace last season, before picking up a bad ankle injury, then he came back and played all of the last 6 games aswell. 

This season he had a minor injury at the start, then he got that back injury. Apart from that hes been fit, but on the whole ignored in the league. 

Going forward I think he should be starting games, it's not like he's ledley king. If starts games for a couple of months and plays well, then picks up an injury, that's fine, that is what the squad is for. 

I think using him as an impact sub in case he gets injured, is overprotective, and I dont think he will stick around too much longer watching worse players than himself play week in week out.

1 minute ago, big blue said:

I think that's harsh. He has had injury concerns, but he managed 11 full games on the spin for palace last season, before picking up a bad ankle injury, then he came back and played all of the last 6 games aswell. 

This season he had a minor injury at the start, then he got that back injury. Apart from that hes been fit, but on the whole ignored in the league. 

Going forward I think he should be starting games, it's not like he's ledley king. If starts games for a couple of months and plays well, then picks up an injury, that's fine, that is what the squad is for. 

I think using him as an impact sub in case he gets injured, is overprotective, and I dont think he will stick around too much longer watching worse players than himself play week in week out.

For me it's not so much incase he gets injured, it's because I believe that's how to get the maximum out of him.

He strikes me as a midfield version of Solskjear in that sense.

11 minutes ago, Argo said:

For me it's not so much incase he gets injured, it's because I believe that's how to get the maximum out of him.

He strikes me as a midfield version of Solskjear in that sense.

I cant agree with that, he has had some good games when he has started, and until he gets a decent run of starts for us, I think it is impossible to tell whether he is better suited at coming off the bench. 

Even Solksjaer started more games than he was on the bench for at United.