Chelsea's Loftus-Cheek left behind and to ponder his future

Chelsea's unbeaten start to the season under Maurizio Sarri has surpassed all expectations, but the visit of Crystal Palace on Sunday is a reminder of how again one of the club's brightest prospects has fallen out of favour.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek made four appearances in England's run to the World Cup semi-finals in the summer on the back of a loan spell at Selhurst Park last season that offered him the competitive Premier League minutes he needed to convince Gareth Southgate he was worth taking to Russia.

However, the 22-year-old is yet to start a league game this season and didn't even make Southgate's squad for last month's Nations League clashes as England took an impressive four points from trips to Croatia and Spain.

Southgate has repeatedly expressed his concern at the lack of opportunities handed to young English players. The summer signings of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic forced Loftus-Cheek further down the pecking order in an over-subscribed Chelsea midfield.

However, Loftus-Cheek has also been overtaken by another English international in Ross Barkley.

The former Everton midfielder admitted his frustration at watching from afar while Loftus-Cheek and company became national heroes in Russia.

The roles were reversed, though, as Barkley made his first England starts for over two years in Croatia and Spain, while Loftus-Cheek remained at home.

"He is becoming a very, very important player for us, and not only us, for the English people too," said Sarri of Barkley on Friday.

After an injury-ravaged first season at Chelsea, Barkley is taking his chance to impress by scoring in each of his side's last three Premier League games.

Loftus-Cheek has also provided a much-needed goal threat for Sarri in recent weeks given Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud's struggles up front and a back injury to Eden Hazard, which means the Belgian is again unlikely to start on Sunday.

Yet, even after scoring a hat-trick against BATE Borisov, Loftus-Cheek started on the bench at Burnley last weekend before coming on to seal a 4-0 win in stoppage time.

- Palace still keen -
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