Ruben Loftus Cheek seems to have picked up an injury ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup match against Plymouth.
It’s been a while since we have seen the 25-year-old midfielder in action for the Blues. I was looking forward to him making a cameo this weekend.
Injuries have written the story of Chelsea’s season so far, and it’s held us back in competing for the Premier League crown. Our midfield has suffered, with N’Golo Kante and Matteo Kovacic suffering long-term injuries.
Whilst Kante is a World-class menace. We cannot rely on him on a weekly basis anymore. Loftus-Cheek’s injury also hinders his reliability. It may be time for one of them to make room for our very own Mr Reliable, Conor Gallagher.
My favourite slogan is, ‘availability is your best attribute’. Being an injury-prone player may not be your fault, and it certainly does not determine how good you are at the sport. But it does cap your reliability, and that’s where issues begin to arise.
It shocks me how reliable Chelsea’s youngster, Gallagher is. Liam Towney gives a breakdown of his apps for each of his loan spells.
19-20: 47 Championship (Charlton/Swansea)
20-21: 30 Premier League apps (West Brom)
21-22: 19 Premier League apps (Crystal Palace so far this season)
There are ongoing discussions regarding what midfielder Chelsea should prioritise in the next transfer window. We cannot be sure whether it will be Declan Rice or Aurelien Tchouameni. For certain, Gallagher needs to be the first name to secure that midfield slot.
Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher share similar parallels to their game. They're both attack-minded midfielders with extensive work rates and a keen eye in the final third. I consider Gallagher to be more ruthless in front of goal as of recent, adding an extra dimension to his overall game.
Gallagher's work rate gives the same energy when it comes to recovery and defensive duties. He reads the game well and is not shy about making crucial interceptions. Loftus-Cheek also shares these attributes, but his work rate to trackback is not so consistent. In fact, this is one of the faults that former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho found in him.
Nobody works harder than Kante. However, I don't think we will ever find a footballer with his capability for the next 20 odd years, to be fair. Even though his availability has been shaky, he still manages a 10/10 performance for every minute he plays.
The personnel of the Chelsea midfield is missing game-changers like Gallagher. When Kante and Kovacic were out, I struggled to find where that spark would come from when the attack was struggling.
Jorginho, Ross Barkley, and Saul may not be an option for Chelsea next season as all three options have been linked with a move away. We can bring in a Rice or Tchouameni, but what happens when Kante or Matteo Kovacic has to deal with injury. Who will be that dynamic player giving them both a run for their money?
Let’s bring him home.
Make sure you have subscribed to CareFree Chelsea on YouTube! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Chelsea content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews. You can follow Anita Abayomi from the CareFreeChelsea team to keep up to date with her work. If you enjoyed reading this then give her other articles a read below.
