Ruben Loftus-Cheek says earning a place in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad “would mean the world”.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter believes the rejuvenated midfielder could be an “outsider for the squad” after featuring in all seven games under him.
Loftus-Cheek, 26, played for England at the 2018 World Cup but has not added to his 10 caps since rupturing his Achilles in May 2019.
“I always felt I could [get back] so I have tried to stay positive,” he said.
Loftus-Cheek spent more than a year out of the game after suffering his Achilles injury playing in a friendly against Boston in America.
He did not feature for Chelsea again until June 2020 and went on to play the following season on loan at Fulham.
“This is the most I have played for Chelsea, consistently, which is another positive,” said the academy graduate, who has made 14 appearances this season.
“As a young player going to the 2018 World Cup you see your trajectory going [up] and to obviously be at the next World Cup, if all goes well.”
Speaking before Chelsea’s Champions League game at RB Salzburg on Tuesday, he added: “A lot has happened in that time and I am just happy and grateful to be fit and healthy and playing football now, consistently.
“That’s all I can ask for, and if I go to the World Cup on the back of what I am doing now, it would mean the world to me, but that is not at the forefront of my mind at the moment.”
Chelsea are top of Group E in the Champions League and victory in Austria will see them qualify for the knockout stages.
Comparing injuries with Andy Murray
Loftus-Cheek said he has spoken to Andy Murray about his injuries when he met him at the Laver Cup in London recently.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray underwent hip surgery in 2019.
“It was good to see how he sees himself and his career and the injuries that hindered him through it,” Loftus-Cheek said.
“Obviously he had a big one with the hip that he still struggles with a bit. It was a good chat to compare our careers really and injuries have been a big part.
- Visit our Chelsea page for all the latest Blues news, analysis and fan viewsYou can now get Chelsea news notifications in the BBC Sport app – find out more
- Our coverage of Chelsea is bigger and better than ever before – here’s everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a momentEverything Chelsea – go straight to all the best content
Source: bbc.com
Discussion about this post