Ruben Loftus-Cheek finally got his opportunity and he took it against MOL Vidi

At 6ft 3in, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a hard man to miss at Chelsea’s training ground, yet the midfielder may have feared Maurizio Sarri had forgotten he existed recently.

Before this, Loftus-Cheek had been seen for a total of 33 minutes this season – 22 against Huddersfield Town on August 11, then 11 against Bournemouth on September 1.

And that was it. Even when he travelled with the squad for their Europa League game against PAOK in Greece last month, he stayed sat on the bench, watching with envy.

Here against Vidi, on the same day that Gareth Southgate left the 22-year-old out of his latest England squad, Loftus-Cheek was handed his first start of the season.

After a fine World Cup in Russia, Loftus-Cheek’s chances have been restricted under Sarri. When an opportunity such as this comes along, he knows he has to take it.

And he did. There were several moments at Stamford Bridge where the midfielder showed his strength, shrugging off the challenges from the visiting Vidi players, as well as his skill.

One instance in particular saw him skin three opponents before being brought down in the box. Chelsea should have had a penalty after Paulo Vinicius’ clumsy challenge and their opener, but Czech referee Miroslav Zelinka waved away the appeals.

Still, Loftus-Cheek’s twinkle-toed run in the build-up was as powerful as it was pretty.

We all know those blokes at five-a-side who, despite their large frame, have surprisingly good feet. Loftus-Cheek is blessed in that way too.

Another moment in the match saw him send one defender to the shops before firing a shot against another. He perhaps should have pulled the trigger sooner, but a lack of match practice may have contributed to the hesitation.

And that is the problem. Loftus-Cheek needs and wants minutes on the pitch. He could have left on loan in the summer, after successfully spending last season with Crystal Palace, but Sarri vetoed the move. The Chelsea coach felt he could be useful this campaign.

So far, it has not worked out, and being left out of Southgate’s squad will test his patience further. After 65 minutes here, with a pat on the back from Sarri, his day was done.

On Loftus-Cheek’s Twitter page, it still states he is a Palace player. His picture is even of him holding an Eagles shirt. Over the last month, he may as well have been on the books at Selhurst Park, because Sarri has not made him feel like he is on Chelsea’s.

Loftus-Cheek, an enforcer with exquisite feet, needs to be playing. Unless more opportunities such as this come along between now and Christmas, a January exit may follow.