Loftus-Cheek ‘can’t play 90 minutes’ but will be back to full fitness soon, reveals Chelsea boss Sarri

The midfielder, 23, has seen his game time limited in 2019 due to an ongoing back problem.

That has meant he has not started a game – or even played more than 30 minutes – since January 5 when Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

After a half-hour cameo against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final last month, Loftus-Cheek played 28 minutes against Dynamo Kiev on Thursday night.

The England star grabbed himself an assist in injury time as Callum Hudson-Odoi rounded off a comfortable 3-0 win for the Blues.

Speaking after the win, Sarri said: "At the moment, he's not able to play for 90 minutes, but his condition is improving.

"In the last few weeks, his back is better and better, so I think in two or three weeks he will be able to play for 90 minutes.

"He has played with continuity in the last few weeks. His condition is not at the top at the moment to play 90 minutes, which is why he wasn't in the starting XI today.

"I wanted Jorginho on the pitch for 50-55 minutes. I wanted [N'Golo] Kante on for 30-35 minutes. So I wasn't able to choose him because he was another substitution. But only for this reason."

Loftus-Cheek has been plagued by back problems for six years, struggling with muscular dorsal issues made worse by a big curve in his lower back.

But the academy graduate hopes he and the physios have found a winning formula to put the troubles behind him for good.

He explained: "I do have problems with my back but I feel like now I am working with the physios, I think we have nailed it.

"Fingers crossed because I have had it since I was 17 and I have been trying to figure it out, trying to figure my body out.

"It’s been a tough couple of years with it, coming at the wrong time. Hopefully we have got a routine to manage it now.

"I was doing well [in January], playing every game, even if it was 90 minutes in a Europa League game and then 30 in the Premier League.

"I wanted to carry on that momentum. But the back problem came again.

"I tried to push through it and manage it, to keep going, but it was one of those ones where if I’d carried on, I would have done more damage."

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