Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek was ruled out with a long term injury back in March 2019.
It has been exactly one year now since the Chelsea player last kicked a ball. He has had to work hard and train harder alone to not only get a successful surgery but to work back into fitness, develop his instincts and get mentally prepare again for football – all the while taking care of his injury rehab.
It has been tough. However, good news for Chelsea fans is that Loftus-Cheek is now back. The player has completely recovered and is at full fitness to start and play for the Blues!
With Chelsea struggling to hold on to their fourth spot as the Premier League race winds to a finish, the addition of Loftus-Cheek to Lampard’s ranks will definitely be a game-changer.
The journey for Loftus-Cheek has not been easy though. For a player dying to prove his worth at a club, he got injured just when he was getting going and that too for a year! It was a hard journey back to his best and he has now shared how it went with the fans!
“My physical presence, how powerful I am, is my biggest strength,” Loftus-Cheek told Chelsea TV.
“But my body is also my weakness. And that’s just what I have to manage. I have to manage my body, and that’s what I’ve learned a lot about.
“So it’s working smart, working hard but listening to your body as well. Be aware of your journey and pay attention to it. The mental side of being injured is hard; it’s hard.
“Going through the tough times it hardens you, and makes you a better player. I have to have the mindset of not regretting those things.
“I have those moments: ‘who would I be now if I hadn’t had those injuries? But I have to counter that as well and say ‘who would I be without those injuries?’
“There’s a right way to think, and a wrong way to think. You have to practise, it’s a skill, to think properly.
“I just really didn’t want to rush (back from the Achilles injury). The hardest part for me (of being injured) has been actually watching the games.
“Seeing them play, and seeing them win, and lose in the bad times, that’s so hard.
“Playing for Chelsea, it’s deep. And that feeling of playing for the shirt, that really comes out when you’re on the pitch.”
This player from the technical aspect – brings in goals – bang – he is a Lampard-ish player – as said by the manager himself. He will drive past people as well when he needs to and is an asset as a midfield enforcer and a scorer. Moreover from the mental aspect – the way he recovered from the injury shows how good he can be when the chips are down – he has seen the tough time and can fight through it.
Finally, from a loyalty point of view, you can see what it means to him to play for the Chelsea shirt and how he will always give it all. If and when the season restarts, Chelsea will have to play about 10 games in a space of a few days. Over there, having a fresh pick like RLC who can manage the heat and thrive on it might just prove to be the difference between a Champions League and an Europa League spot.
See More: Chelsea FC Players Wages 2020: Salaries Per Week List!
