Ruben Loftus-Cheek outlines Chelsea’s Champions League ambitions after Premier League admission

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has laid out Chelsea’s aspirations for the remainder of the season stating that ‘the Champions League is all we have’.

Chelsea currently sit 10th in the Premier League, a seemingly unassailable 11 points off of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur who currently occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot.

A tricky run-in awaits the Blues in the final months of the season with away trips against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.

After getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup early doors, Chelsea’s only chance of a trophy this term is the Champions League. Following a 2-1 aggregate win over Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund last month, a quarter-final tie against current holders Real Madrid was set up.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Loftus-Cheek described the Champions League as Chelsea’s only potential saving grace, a somewhat redeeming factor, in what has been a more than difficult campaign for the Blues so far.

He said: “I wouldn’t say Champions League or bust, we’ve still got a bit more time in the Premier League to jump up the table. But for us, Champions League is where we’re at.

“Champions League is where we need to knuckle down and focus and give ourselves the best chance of winning.”

The month of March was a pressure-relieving month for head coach Graham Potter who has come under increasing scrutiny after a run of just three wins in 17 matches in all competitions.

Wins over Leeds United, Borussia Dortmund and Leicester City, and a draw to Everton before the international break has lifted the mood within the Chelsea camp.

Loftus-Cheek, 27, believes the togetherness and backing of Potter and the squad may have played a part in Chelsea starting to turn their season around in the latter parts of the 2022/23 campaign.

The midfielder added: “I think the way it looks from the outside is very different to how we feel in the club and the training ground.

“We’ve got massive respect for Graham Potter and we all believe he’s a good manager. We started really well with him, we had a difficult patch, but now we’re starting to play better football.

“Through that difficult patch we stuck together and were behind him 100 percent.

“The way it looked from the outside maybe it didn’t look like that, but from me, and behalf of all the players, we were right behind the manager and believed in the players and the group.”

After a difficult year struggling with injuries, Loftus-Cheek has featured in seven of Chelsea’s eight Champions League fixtures this season, and will need to play his part if the London side are to lift the trophy for the third time come June.