In pre-season, Thomas Tuchel set Ruben Loftus-Cheek a mission. The Blues academy product was fresh from a difficult loan spell with Fulham but had time with Chelsea's head coach to put in a good impression, while much of Chelsea's squad competed at EURO 2020.
The 26-year-old put in some impressive displays during Chelsea's friendly fixtures but left Tuchel demanding more. The 48-year-old German has high standards, but he had clearly seen something he wanted to release in his charge.
"Generally, I am happy, and that's why he plays. He deserves to play at this point of the preparation," Tuchel explained to football.london in August.
