RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK is set for a loan move this week – but still has the backing of Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.
Aston Villa are in pole position to seal a deal for the season, with West Ham and Southampton also interested.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been linked with a move away from ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Midfielder Loftus-Cheek, 24, has not featured since Chelsea’s opening game.
But Lampard said: “I’m very open with Ruben, we’ve had a couple of conversations in the past week.
“Ruben’s fit as a fiddle, he can play week in week out if he needs to, coming off the back of a lot of work – he would have been playing games and fitter earlier, if it wasn’t for lockdown.
“There’s a possibility that Ruben may go out to play games, because I think that would be great for him.
“We hold him in very high regard here, I certainly do, and that could be a good option for him.
“If that’s not the right option, he’ll be competitive in this squad as well, because of the quality that he has, and, hopefully, be a big plus for us.”
Loftus-Cheek, who made his senior Chelsea debut as a teenager back in 2014, has struggled with injuries during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The England International spent a year out with an achilles problem and has managed just 61 minutes for the Blues this season.
Lampard added: “Ruben wants to play and the reality is that I have a lot of competition in those areas.
“Without a doubt [Loftus-Cheek has a future at Chelsea]. He’s had a difficult time, the injury was a bad one, he hasn’t played as many minutes at this club as he would like to have done.
“So we’ll make that decision as to what’s best for him and us.”
Ruben Loftus-Cheek runs riot on 1-on-1 Chelsea training
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
