EPL: Sarri reveals where Loftus-Cheek needs improvement despite scoring hat-trick against BATE

Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri has identified where midfielder, Ruben Loftus-Cheek needs improvement, after the England star scored an hat-trick in his side’s Europa League 3-1 win over BATE Borisov on Thursday night.

Loftus-Cheek scored the first goal, tucking away from 12 yards after Davide Zappacosta pulled back an inviting ball.

He added another six minutes later from a corner, flicking on Willian’s corner to bag an unexpected brace.

The 22-year-old bagged a memorable hat-trick in the game with a late strike.

Sarri, who was impressed by Loftus-Cheek’s performances, said the midfielder still needs to improve ‘defensively’.

Speaking after Chelsea’s win over BATE, Sarri was quoted by 101greatgoals as saying: “Loftus-Cheek is a very good player, of course, but I have a little problem. I have to put 11 players in the starting XI, but I have 28 players! This little problem, I don’t know how to solve it. Ask to play 16, 17?

“At the moment we have four midfielders for two positions.

“Three of them with the same characteristics. Only Kante is a defensive midfielder. It’s very difficult for me to put in the starting XI two [such] offensive midfielders at the same time.

“I hope to be able to do it in the future, but I need the cooperation of the players. I need an improvement in the defensive phase… In the future I may be able to put [Ross] Barkley and Loftus in the same starting XI.

“In the offensive phase wonderful. I told him at the beginning of the season I thought he was really a very good player. Now I think the same, but now he’s now more suitable to my football.

“He’s improving. He needs to improve in the defensive phase, but it’s not only Loftus.”

Sarri’s men will take on Burnley on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League fixture.