Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek admits he will need to show Maurizio Sarri he understands his tactical demands if he is to get a chance in the team.
The 22-year-old made his first start of the season in England’s 1-0 friendly win over Switzerland on Tuesday, having played only 33 minutes in the Premier League since Sarri took over as Chelsea head coach from Antonio Conte.
Loftus-Cheek hopes to get his chance during a busy few weeks at club level, with their Europa League campaign beginning next week with a trip to PAOK just five days after their league duties resume at home to Cardiff City.
However, he conceded he must wise up quickly to Sarri’s methods if he wants a run in the side.
“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 said. “But I’m not sure when I am going to play. It is just down to me working hard in training.
“A lot of my game is based on physicality and I obviously didn’t feel my fittest against Switzerland, but I will build on that.
“I’ve spoken a lot with Sarri in the past couple of weeks and he’s told me I need to learn tactically and his ways in training. The quicker I get that then the more opportunities I will get to play.”
Should he be unable to earn a regular spot in Sarri’s plans, Loftus-Cheek suggested he could be tempted by a loan move back to Crystal Palace, where he impressed last season.
“Possibly, but it is still far away,” he said. “There are still a lot of games to play and I just have to see what happens.
“Right now, I am at Chelsea and my focus is at Chelsea and learning at Chelsea. That is in the future and we will deal with that when it comes.”