Loftus-Cheek has a great season, but he didn’t get to the national team. Why would he be the ideal choice?

He scored two of AC Milan’s seven goals against Slavia. Englishman Ruben Loftus-Cheek is not in the English national team despite his steady form, while Jordan Henderson is just getting up to speed at Ajax Amsterdam. However, he can be found on Gareth Southgate’s roster.

The flight of English footballers to foreign European leagues is taken by fans in England as confirmation that the footballer in question is not up to the Premier League. But in recent years, such transfers have been happening more and more frequently. Jadon Sancho’s success has helped.

The English are also trying their luck in Serie A, with seven such players now in Italy’s top competition. Tammy Abraham already has a big name at AS Roma, but has been injured all this season. Stoker Fikayo Tomori is a defensive mainstay at AC Milan.

Loftus-Cheek and his key interventions against Slavia

Compatriot Ruben Loftus-Cheek plays with Tomori at the San Siro. The offensive midfielder arrived in the summer of 2023 from Chelsea and is having an excellent year.

He has scored five times and assisted twice in Serie A and added four goals in the Europa League. He scored in both games against Slavia.

And they weren’t just any hits, they were both game-winners. Firstly, at San Siro, he gave Jindřich Stanek no chance after a corner kick to make it 3:1, and in the Prague rematch he cleared a pass from the left side into an empty net to make it 2:0.

One goal away from the season of a lifetime

The British media is thus discussing whether the midfielder should have received an invitation to the national team instead of Jordan Henderson. An article on the subject was even published by the respected UK website The Athletic.

Loftus-Cheek would be an ideal choice for Gareth Southgate as a box-to-box midfielder. With an overall record of 9+2, he is close to the most productive season of his career. That has so far been the one at Chelsea, in whose jersey he netted ten goals in the 2018/19 season.

Source: The Athletic, Transfermarkt