Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been told he needs to add more goals to his game if he's to earn a place in the England squad this winter for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The 26-year-old has impressed in recent weeks, earning more regular game time for the Blues.
It comes after a mixed senior career for the midfielder, who has shown plenty of promise but a flurry of injuries and unsuccessful loan spells have left questions over his progression. Loftus-Cheek has come back into the fray at Stamford Bridge, making 15 appearances across the Premier League and Champions League this season.
"“He’s really impressed me, on and off the pitch," New Chelsea boss Graham Potter said on the midfielder. "He’s a very humble guy, he wants to learn, he wants to improve. He’s clearly benefited from game time but, at the same time, the way he’s trained has been really, really good. He’s played and it’s allowed him to build his fitness up. He needs a good fitness level to carry that big body of his around the pitch.
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“His quality’s there. He’s fantastic on the ball, great physicality, great athlete. I think he’s putting himself into a situation where he’ll be one of the players Gareth [Southgate] will be looking at as an outsider into the [England World Cup] squad. But that’s Gareth’s decision.”
It's been four-years since Loftus-Cheek was last involved in an England squad, having made 10 appearances from 2017 to 2018. His form could get him involved once again, however former England defender Stuart Pearce believes he has to add more goals to his game.
He told TalkSPORT: "I think, all things being equal, probably not [getting into the England squad]. You’ve got to bear in mind it’s a 26-man squad, there will be injuries and he’s playing for one of the top clubs in this country. If someone said to me what Loftus-Cheek is as a player, I would say he’s an attacking midfield player.
"With that, you’ve got to couple that with assists and goals. I don’t think he delivers enough goals for what he is. He’s got a certain talent. I’m still waiting for the best years of Ruben to come.”
It remains to be seen if the 26-year-old is an option for the Qatar tournament, but it would show a huge resurgence in his career if he can stake a claim.
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