Kid Clarke to get run of the Mill
Loftus-Cheek wants legend to get him fizzing for Sarri
RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK has revealed Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola is helping him to play the Maurizio Sarri way.
The England midfielder has grasped the challenge of fighting his way into the Blues’ first-team picture – rather than the possibility of quitting for another loan spell at Crystal Palace.
The 22-year-old made his first England appearance of the season in the 1-0 win over Switzerland on Tuesday night.
Before that, he was a late substitute in Chelsea’s wins over Huddersfield and Bournemouth. But he wants to make himself a regular starter with the Blues and believes Zola – Sarri’s assistant – is the ideal man to learn from.
“You couldn’t really get a better teacher than Zola,” said Loftus-Cheek.
“The boss helps me and Gianfranco is helping me every day also to learn as quickly as possible – that’s great for me.
“You see clips of what he did for Chelsea, so to have him as an assistant is great for us.
“The boss and I have had a lot of talks in the past couple of weeks and he said to me that I need to learn tactically, so a lot of my focus and effort is on learning his tactics and his ways in training. I think the quicker I get that, then the more opportunities I will get to play.
“It is just down to me working hard in training – I don’t know whether I am going to play or not play, but, for me, it stays the same.
“I still train well and do everything the right way in case I do play.”
LoftusCheek spent last season at Palace and the regular first-team action he gained there helped him break into the England squad for the World Cup. Following the Three Lions’ run to the semi-finals in Russia, he was expected to be integrated into the Chelsea first-team this season. Instead, he has seen Sarri (left, with Zola) add Jorginho, from Napoli, and Mateo Kovacic, from Real Madrid, to a midfield that already has World Cup winner N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas and Ross Barkley. But, rather than defect to Palace for another season, Loftus-Cheek has decided to be patient in the knowledge that, with Carabao Cup and Europa League commitments, he has every chance of getting game time.
“There are a lot of games coming up, so I think there will be more opportunities coming for players that are not playing every week,” he added.
“We have to be ready and do our best when we get the chance. Right now, I am at Chelsea and my focus is at Chelsea and learning.
“January is in the future and we will deal with that when it comes.” MARCELO BIELSA is ready to throw rookie Jack Clarke into the Lions’ Den on Saturday. Clarke has put himself in the frame for a Leeds debut at Millwall following the cruciate knee-ligament injury that will sideline £7million striker Patrick Bamford for at least four months. Elland Road boss Bielsa has been impressed by teenager Clarke’s performances for the Under-23s this season and has been waiting for the chance to give him a taste of Championship action. That opportunity has now arrived – and Bielsa has no fears