Ruben Loftus-Cheek can be an important player for Chelsea, despite missing the last 12 months of football.

That is according to former Blues assistant Gianfranco Zola.

The 24-year-old injured his Achilles last May after establishing himself as a regular under Maurizio Sarri and Zola.

Asked to name the players to watch in England, Zola told Sky Sports: "There's so many right now in the Premier League that are exciting to watch.

"The front players for Liverpool, many others. I like [James] Maddison a lot from Leicester, he's a player that has very good potential.

"I also like very much last year Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He's a player that, if he can recover his physical potential, he can be an amazing player. Players like [Eden] Hazard were special last year, he was unbelievable.

"There is one player that is a game-changer and that is [Kevin] De Bruyne for City. He knows how to do everything, he can set people up for an assist, he can score, he can defend, he can build the play. I think he's becoming an amazing player."