Thomas Tuchel urges the Chelsea star to show his ‘monster’ side

Loftus-Cheek has enjoyed a string of games in recent weeks, with Tuchel using him as a central midfielder and right-back when needed.

The 26-year-old had to wait for his chance under the Germany manager after previously struggling for game time but helped propel his team into the FA Cup final earlier this month by scoring in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace met.

However, given the strong competition at Tuchel’s side, the Germany manager has made it clear that he still has work to do to become a regular starter.

“He has to push his limits; it has to be physical,” said Tuchel.

“Like everyone, had a bit of a shy game against Arsenal. A calm first half against Crystal Palace and improved physically and with ball recoveries and dribbling in the second half.

“Suddenly there was a crowd. We ask that of him. He is a calm person.

“He needs to discover that monster in himself and unleash it regularly because it is absolutely necessary.

“It’s not enough just to be on the pitch. If you look at his last few years, it might seem good because he’s a regular, but that’s not enough. We can’t make him think it’s enough, he has to keep pushing himself.

“We try every day and given his development we are quite successful. He needs to understand how much potential he has and unleash that physical capacity on a daily basis.

“He can’t let go in training. He has to be under pressure and play every game like a cup final.”

Loftus-Cheek hopes to add to his tally when Chelsea take on Manchester United in the Premier League on Thursday night.

MORE: Louis Saha ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Chelsea sign Jules Kounde to replace Antonio Rudiger

MORE: Thomas Tuchel wishes he could clone Reece James and names Chelsea defender’s best position

For more stories like this, visit our sports page.