Chelsea fans were delighted to see Pedro back in the starting lineup for the Blues, and equally sad to see him trudge off after half an hour.
The Spaniard was replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, mainly because there were no like-for-like changes available. Eden Hazard was ruled out of the squad entirely with a back injury, so Loftus-Cheek, after his goalscoring midweek, was the best attacking option available, short of bringing on Olivier Giroud and going to two up front.
Chelsea changed their formation to accommodate Ruben in the team when he came on, so it’s clearly something that Sarri is considering. Might he consider doing it from the start of a game?
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Ruben’s future is currently being blocked by both Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley playing really well in that third midfield slot. Could continued injury problems for Pedro and a need to rest Willian after so many starts give young Ruben a chance in a new position?
Of course it’s not in the position we really want to see him in, but at the moment every minute he gets on the pitch is valuable.
