Gianfranco Zola has praised the performance of Ruben Loftus-Cheek in Chelsea’s 1-0 League Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth last night.
Eden Hazard’s late goal saw Chelsea progress to a two-legged semi-final with London rivals Tottenham, with Loftus-Cheek excelling on a rare start, having found opportunities limited this season.
Assistant manager Zola praised the performance of the 22-year-old midfielder, who has impressed since his increased involvement for Maurizio Sarri’s side in recent weeks.
‘I was impressed with him. He has done very well as one of the wide players, but he showed a lot of application and sacrifice when he played as a midfielder.’ Zola told a post match press conference.
‘He was getting tired towards the end but he was still disciplined and gave the team a hand.’
‘He has come far since the beginning of the season. He has improved in many ways, and I’m pleased because he is a good boy and he works very hard on his game.’