It seems unlikely that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be able to play 90 minutes when Chelsea face West Ham on Monday night as he continues to manage a back problem.
The 23-year-old started and scored in the 3-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in midweek but was forced off before the end of the game as a result of a hamstring issue.
That seems to be fine, bur Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has revealed that the club have continued to manage a back problem that has plagued Loftus-Cheek all season long and that issue means that he is unlikely to be able to last a full 90 minutes.
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Chelsea are checking on the condition of Loftus-Cheek's back every day and the midfielder only had a recovery session at Cobham on Friday as the club look to make sure he is in a good condition to play some part on Monday night.
And speaking ahead of that game Sarri admits he doesn't feel the issue is a big concern and that Chelsea's club doctor is able to control the injury.
He said: "Maybe, but we need to check every day the condition of his back. This morning, he had only a recovery session because he needs time to recover after a match. The problem in this moment is only that, probably, he's not able to play for 90 minutes.
“No. I don't think it's a concern. It's a problem, of course, but I think our doctor is able to take under control the situation.”
“Yes, a lot. Especially tactically. Now he is tactically a very good midfielder. At the beginning of the season, he was a very offensive midfielder. Now he is complete, I think.”
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