Ruben Loftus-Cheek must remain at Chelsea in order to continue progressing under Maurizio Sarri.

That is according to Blues legend Dennis Wise.

Loftus-Cheek is behind Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic on Sarri's midfield pecking order, and reports have linked the 22-year-old with a loan move in January.

But Wise believes the England interantional has improved under the Italian and should continue to do so by remaining in west London.

He told Standard Sport: "No, I don't think he should.

"He [Sarri] has played him a number of times. He's got competition for places but why would Loftus-Cheek want to go on loan?

"I'll pick Crystal Palace just because he went there on loan. Why would you want to go there on loan, to a team where you'll play a lot of games but you'll be in a battle down the bottom when you can play in a team full of top international players, fighting to win trophies and trying to get in the Champions League?

"I think he's improved so much. This is a process for him and I think it's important he stays at Chelsea and he fights. He's very close to being one of the players who could take one of those shirts and stay in there and he has to carry that on until the end of the season.

"He's got the opportunity to do it now that he's thought of in a different way than when he went out on loan. Maurizio said it: he won't go out on loan. He's stepped up to another level. He will be the one fighting for that offensive spot."