Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been assured by Chelsea he still has a future at the club despite their £15million signing of Ross Barkley from Everton.

Loftus-Cheek is currently on a season-long loan with Crystal Palace but was told in advance by Chelsea that they were going to bring in Barkley, and that it wouldn't affect his long-term position at Stamford Bridge.

Palace manager Roy Hodgson said last week he'd be interested in signing the 21-year-old midfielder on a permanent basis but the player has no current plans to leave Chelsea given the backing he's received.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is on loan at Crystal Palace and has made a huge impression thus far

His impressive form at Selhurst Park saw him called into the England squad last year, and he earned rave reviews after a man-of-the-match display against Germany.

In November, he gave an interview saying Chelsea 'definitely' held his career back by failing to give him a chance in the first-team.

'I think in the last two or three years I've had to be patient,' he told the Croydon Advertiser.

'It was tough, mentally, at Chelsea not getting the game time, but I had to be really patient and have the mentality to still train right and do all the right things.'