Thomas Tuchel has raised eyebrows by recalling a player that hadn't been a part of the Three Lions set-up since 2018
AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek always planned to spend the international break in England. He just figured he'd be doing little else other than visiting family and friends.
However, Loftus-Cheek is instead in a position to make his first appearance for his country since 2018, having been drafted into Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions squad due the injury-enforced withdrawal of Adam Wharton.
"You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff," Loftus-Cheek told reporters at an England press conference on Wednesday. "But I just completely forgot about it and was being a fan of the team instead."
Loftus-Cheek wasn't the only one stunned by his recall, either. Indeed, even Milan fans are surprised.
So, what on earth is Loftus-Cheek doing back in the England set-up after a near seven-year absence? And does he now have a real shot at featuring at next summer's World Cup in North America? GOAL breaks down Tuchel's most shocking selection to date…
AFPA devastating low after such a high
It should not be forgotten that Loftus-Cheek was initially considered a key member of the England squad with which Gareth Southgate restored pride in the Three Lions at the 2018 World Cup.
The then-Chelsea ace started three times in Russia and, given he was only 22 at the time, the feeling was that he had the mix of physique and technique required to become a regular in Southgate's midfield – a feeling that only intensified during an outstanding 2018-19 campaign under Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge that yielded a career-high 10 goals in all competitions.
However, Loftus-Cheek ruptured his Achilles tendon in a meaningless post-season friendly just before the Europa League final win over Arsenal and the injury had a devastating impact on his international career.
As the Cobham Academy graduate admitted, he was "on such a high" at the time that he "had a hard time mentally" during his long road to recovery.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportA new role under Tuchel
A loan spell at Fulham in 2020-21 helped Loftus-Cheek get his career back on track – as did the appointment of Tuchel as Chelsea's new manager.
The German actually took over six months before he returned to the Bridge but he had been following Loftus-Cheek's performances at Craven Cottage, liked what he saw and had a novel idea on how best to use him.
"I didn't know too much about him as a manager when I came back," Loftus-Cheek admitted. "I did pre-season with Chelsea and that's when we spoke about playing wing-back.
"I said, 'No way!' But I ended up playing there anyway."
And the unexpected change of position worked out quite well for Loftus-Cheek, who made 40 appearances in total during the 2021-22 campaign – his best haul since Sarri's season at the helm.
Loftus-Cheek struggled with inconsistency and minor injuries after Tuchel's shock sacking in September 2022 and, by the following summer, he was fed up. He wasn't playing as much as he wanted, or where he wanted.
Loftus-Cheek subsequently admitted to "feeling like a caged animal" – and it was Milan who set him free.
AFP'Even more attacking than I thought'
Loftus-Cheek had caught Stefano Pioli's eye during Milan's two meetings with Chelsea in the group stage of the Champions League in October 2022, so the Italian coach was thrilled when the Rossoneri signed the Londoner in June 2023.
As for Loftus-Cheek, he had long been intrigued by the prospect of moving to Milan and had been asking former Chelsea team-mate Fikayo Tomori about the city long before his transfer – without initially explaining why.
Having Tomori at Milan helped Loftus-Cheek settle quickly at San Siro but Pioli's presence was just as important.
As well as making the effort to try to converse with Loftus-Cheek in English, the Italian also quickly came to realise just how much damage he could do going forward.
"I definitely looked at him as more of a box-to-box player," Pioli explained. "But I didn't foresee him being such a big player for us in the opposition penalty area with this much quality and physicality.
"The Loftus-Cheek I've found is even more attacking than I thought. He's fantastic."
And he was.
Getty Images SportLast season's struggles
Loftus-Cheek equalled his best-ever goals tally at Chelsea during a sensational debut season and plenty of Serie A followers felt he was doing enough to earn an England recall in the final few months before Euro 2024.
However, Loftus-Cheek ended up following the tournament as a fan – and the presumption was that he would do likewise during next summer's World Cup, given his 2024-25 campaign was an unmitigated disaster.
Before the season started, AC Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic demanded even more goals from Loftus-Cheek. He got none, though.
Loftus-Cheek was hindered by yet another injury, which saw him miss three months of action, while he sat out a further four Serie A games after having his appendix removed. However, Loftus-Cheek also looked a little lost during Paolo Fonseca's six-month stint at San Siro.
Sergio Conceicao, who took over in January, was overjoyed when Loftus-Cheek finally became available for selection again for the final few weeks of the season, hailing the 29-year-old as a "beast" and a "top-quality box-to-box" midfielder.
Physically, though, Loftus-Cheek still didn't look quite right after his lengthy lay-off and it was telling that he spent the entirety of the Coppa Italia final loss to Bologna on the bench.