CM: Milan welcome back ‘monster’ Loftus-Cheek – 12 games to decide his future
The big news from the week of work at Milanello was the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who will now begin his mission to convince AC Milan that he should stay.
Calciomercato.com write how Sergio Conceicao’s hopes of a strong end to the season and pursuit of a European spot are boosted by the return of Loftus-Cheek after almost two months from the muscle injury suffered in the Supercoppa Italiana final vs. Inter.
The return of the ex-Chelsea player was welcomed with great enthusiasm by the Portuguese coach who will now be able to count on a midfielder who, with his physical and technical characteristics, seems tailor made for his style.
During his pre-match press conference on the eve of the Como game, Conceicao said: “I’ve never properly had him due to injuries, but now he’s 100% recovered. He’s not ready for 90 minutes yet, but I like him a lot.
“He’s a very strong midfielder, he gets into the opponent’s area well. Physically he’s a monster, I hope to have him available for the end of this season. Last year he scored 10 goals, he’s a box-to-box player of great quality.”
Ruben will start the match from the bench this evening but is scheduled to come on in the second half to start getting minutes into his legs to warm his engine. Conceicao will thus have another weapon for his game, based around physicality, aggression and quick vertical movement of the ball.
Loftus-Cheek has paid the price of bad luck with various physical problems that have forced him to remain in the pits for a long time, as has been the story of his career. The Englishman will therefore be the subject of reflections from the management in the summer, including the new sporting director.
The 29-year-old has 12 games – factoring in Serie A and the Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter – to return to the form of last season show he deserves a spot in the new Milan project which, at the moment, is very far away.
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