What Thomas Tuchel Did to Ruben Loftus-Cheek at Chelsea Could Now Be Key to England Player’s World Cup Hopes

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back in the England picture after an absence of more than half a decade and he admits: “It’s been a long time.” The AC Milan midfielder last played for the Three Lions in a 3-o win over the USA in November 2018 — the same year he featured in four games at the World Cup in Russia. But he is expected to win cap No 11 this month after being called up by Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia. Loftus-Cheek only got the call after an injury to Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the 29-year-old told reporters how he found out he had been recalled. “I was notified before the weekend to just be ready, but I wasn’t in the first squad,” he said. “With Milan, we played Friday and I had a couple of days to see my family, so I was in England anyway, with my family, and got the call I would be coming to join the squad. It was a nice feeling.”