Among the most positive players in this first half of Milan's pre-season preparation, there is certainly Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The English midfielder endured a very tough season last year due to injuries, but this year the management immediately made it clear that they wanted to rely on him, and Massimiliano Allegri has followed up on the words of Igli Tare by starting him in all three games so far, including yesterday when more space was given to those who had played less. The responses on the pitch have been very positive.
The former Chelsea player was interviewed by La Repubblica, and the first thing he spoke about was the tour that just ended:
"We experienced much more than just the matches. This trip strengthened the sense of unity within the Milan family. We have so many fans in Asia and Australia. The support we received was incredible, almost unexpected."
On beating Liverpool:
"We need to be cautious, it’s summer football and we know that well. That said, Liverpool is one of the best teams in the world and it’s always difficult. The positive thing is that we played very well in a really tough match," as relayed via Milan News.
On new coach Massimiliano Allegri:
"He has created healthy competition among us players. Everyone wants a spot on the pitch, and we all feel like we can earn it if we train and play well. Allegri is a great coach and a fantastic person. He knows how to create a good atmosphere: a great atmosphere creates a great team."
And it is also from aspects like this that the important work of these first few weeks has stemmed:
"It’s going really well, we’re improving, we’re growing. We’ll need time to perfect our game. But the feelings are really positive."
On Milan not participating in the Champions League, Loftus-Cheek commented:
"We’ll have time to recover during the week. For me, physically, after what I went through last season, that will be valuable. What’s certain is that we are Milan, and we want to be in Europe. We’ll work for that."
