‘Different type of player’: Tuchel hails 25-year-old Chelsea ace for cameo in Man City loss

Thomas Tuchel has lauded the performance of Chelsea ace Ruben Loftus-Cheek against Manchester City

Speaking to Stadium Astro (h/t Metro), Thomas Tuchel has heaped praise on Chelsea ace Ruben Loftus-Cheek for his display against Manchester City on Saturday.

The Blues suffered their first defeat of the season against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. Tuchel tinkered with the first team and used the trio of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, and N’Golo Kante instead of using another winger.

However, the German boss rectified things in the second half as he brought on Kai Havertz and also replaced Jorginho with Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The midfielder was expected ‘to leave’ the West London club this summer but provided an impressive performance on the day as he was dribbling past players with ease.

Although the Englishman could not help the Stamford Bridge outfit find an equalizer, Tuchel hailed the 25-year-old after game and also responded to questions regarding future plans for the midfielder. Tuchel told Stadium Astro (h/t The Metro):

“He (Loftus Cheek) decides what the plans are. He got minutes against Zenit, in the [Carabao] Cup, and now here [against Manchester City]. He’s a different type of player. He’s not a passing player, he’s a dribbler, a runner who drives the ball. This could be very helpful against City. He did very well, it was nice to see.”

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This was Loftus Cheek’s 3rd game for the club this season after starting against Aston Villa in mid-week and providing a cameo performance against Zenit in the Champions League last week. 

If the Englishman continues to play in the central midfield role, it would be a huge help for the Blues as they currently only have 4 options in that role. The 25-year-old will now be focused on getting some playing time against the likes of Juventus and Southampton next week.