Ruben Loftus-Cheek is willing to wait patiently for a chance with Chelsea after emerging as a regular in the England squad.
Gareth Southgate s admiration and a lack of alternative midfield options should see the 22-year-old start in Tuesday s friendly against Switzerland.
The international opportunities, which have included three starts at the World Cup, come despite Loftus-Cheek s ongoing battle to win a starting berth for Chelsea.
Maurizio Sarri has granted the academy product just 33 minutes in the Premier League this term after opting to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
I d like to have more appearances by now, but it s just the way my journey has gone, and I just have to be patient with it, Loftus-Cheek told Sky Sports.
I can see it as a positive. I m playing for England, playing well when I play, and that s without too many appearances so it s still raw in that sense.
Though restricted to six league starts for Chelsea since debuting under Jose Mourinho in 2015, Loftus-Cheek is appreciative of the influence training with top players has had on his development.
Sarri says he is very happy with Ruben Loftus-Cheek because he has improved a lot in the last 10 days. He thinks the midfielder will be very important for us when we start playing two games per week.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)
It was during last season s loan stint with Crystal Palace, however, that the imposing box-to-box prospect felt his body became accustomed to the demands of the Premier League.
I really enjoyed playing and training with [Chelsea s squad], I could feel myself getting better every day and improving, but it got to a point where training wasn t enough and you need the exposure in the Premier League, he said.
That s when I took the chance to go to Palace, and even when that happened, I thought I could ve done it earlier.
I started really enjoying my football, playing in the Premier League every week, and I felt the benefits.
