Gareth Southgate will have been delighted with the youngster's comeback - Will he be on the plane?
Crystal Palace had more than one reason to celebrate on Saturday when they beat Huddersfield to give their hopes for survival a massive boost.
Not only did they get a victory at the John Smiths Stadium, they welcomed the return of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, after being out of action since December.
After completing his comeback, the odds on the 22-year old making England’s World Cup squad have been slashed dramatically.
16/1 was available before Saturday’s game, however Loftus-Cheek is as short as 2/1 now to be part of the 23-man squad. 5/1 is the current biggest available price.
Southgate regards the Midfielder as a ‘Serious contender’ for a place and has stated in the past that he has every chance of appearing sooner rather than later for the Three Lions.
Southgate said: ““He’s a player who needs to get back playing and for us to see.
“There are going to be some close calls in that area of the pitch — what’s the balance of our midfield? We showed our belief in him in November. He’s a serious contender because of his technical ability and physical presence.”
Despite the slash in odds, just 3 percent bets this weekend in the England squad market have gone on Loftus-Cheek, meaning that punters have looked elsewhere so far for potential value.
Oddschecker Spokesman George Elek: “Ruben Loftus-Cheek has a great chance of making it to Russia after completing his comeback on Saturday and bookies were quick to slash his odds. The youngster is a bright prospect and someone that Gareth Southgate has admired for a long time. Don’t be surprised if the 22-year old further cements his place in the months to come, 5/1 could well be a big price in hindsight.”
