Chelsea's £103m midfield hunt will be in vain as injury trouble calls for Conor Gallagher return

Ruben Loftus Cheek seems to have picked up an injury ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup match against Plymouth.

It’s been a while since we have seen the 25-year-old midfielder in action for the Blues. I was looking forward to him making a cameo this weekend.

Injuries have written the story of Chelsea’s season so far, and it’s held us back in competing for the Premier League crown. Our midfield has suffered, with N’Golo Kante and Matteo Kovacic suffering long-term injuries.

Whilst Kante is a World-class menace. We cannot rely on him on a weekly basis anymore. Loftus-Cheek’s injury also hinders his reliability. It may be time for one of them to make room for our very own Mr Reliable, Conor Gallagher.

My favourite slogan is, ‘availability is your best attribute’. Being an injury-prone player may not be your fault, and it certainly does not determine how good you are at the sport. But it does cap your reliability, and that’s where issues begin to arise.

It shocks me how reliable Chelsea’s youngster, Gallagher is. Liam Towney gives a breakdown of his apps for each of his loan spells.

19-20: 47 Championship (Charlton/Swansea)

20-21: 30 Premier League apps (West Brom)

21-22: 19 Premier League apps (Crystal Palace so far this season)

There are ongoing discussions regarding what midfielder Chelsea should prioritise in the next transfer window. We cannot be sure whether it will be or . For certain, Gallagher needs to be the first name to secure that midfield slot.

Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher share similar parallels to their game. They're both attack-minded midfielders with extensive work rates and a keen eye in the final third. I consider Gallagher to be more ruthless in front of goal as of recent, adding an extra dimension to his overall