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.
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"But I think he can do even more. He can show up more. He can show more physical capability and drive more with the ball. I'm never satisfied with him, and I have the feeling we need to push him to the absolute limit. It's too early to judge Ruben. He has everything in his hands, and it's on him to decide his own future like every player. He has to keep on going 150% because 100% is not enough."
How have things unfolded since? Loftus-Cheek is two appearances shy of matching the tally he picked up with the Cottagers and is set to make a comparable number of appearances as he did in 2018/19 under Maurizio Sarri. However, his place in the team has been firmly behind the talents of Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho.
The former Crystal Palace loanee has shown flashes of his talent this season with some masterful dribbling and control of the ball in the centre of the pitch, but his influence has predominantly been from the bench or in the early rounds of the cup. Tuchel has opted for Loftus-Cheek to start three of Chelsea's four games since the international break.
It felt like a move out of necessity when lined up as a wing-back against Southampton. Reece James was still returning from injury and had played 90 minutes against Real Madrid. At the same time, Cesar Azpilicueta was absent, having tested positive for Covid-19. Loftus-Cheek showed his versatility and produced a good performance with some very threatening deliveries from the right flank, but the Saints were tame, and there was little hint it could lead to something more.
The wing-back positions were the main area where the Blues struggled at Stamford Bridge vs Carlo Ancelotti's men, with Vinicius Junior exploiting the gap between James and Andreas Christensen. That would not be allowed to happen in the second leg.
James was placed on the right of a back four or right side of a back three, depending on the phase of play, to match up with Vinicius. It didn't require much play before the result of Tuchel's coy answer in a pre-match interview of 'you will find out' when asked about Loftus-Cheek, quickly became apparent. The midfielder was trusted with a crucial role on the night, even with Azpilicueta available and other options in the likes of Christensen and Chalobah on the bench.
Loftus-Cheek was both central midfielder and wing-back, pressing Real Madrid high up the pitch and looking to quash the support and supply chain to Vinicius in tandem with James. It was a busy evening for the Blues ace, which covered a massive amount of ground in the first half.
It was a big role that emphasises the trust and faith Tuchel has in a player who has been far from guaranteed a start. During the match, it was clear his demands were no less exacting. Tuchel was left jumping up and down in disbelief when Loftus-Cheek's miscontrol on the byline conceded possession high in Los Blanco's half. The frustration shows the expectation and perhaps that the Blues star still has a role to play. As Tuchel noted in pre-season, he will push him to the limit.
