Roy Hodgson confirms Crystal Palace tried to re-sign Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson admits he wanted to bring Ruben Loftus-Cheek back to Selhurst Park for this season but Chelsea blocked the deal.

Loftus-Cheek impressed in this year's World Cup when he featured for Gareth Southgate's side in their run to the semi-finals.

The 22-year-old made 24 appearances for Palace despite spending around three months on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

Hodgson said: "I know the club had been in conversations about Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Steve Parrish knows how much we would have liked to have brought Ruben here again.

Image: Roy Hodgson joined Palace as manager last September

"I must say it doesn't surprise me that at the moment Chelsea are saying they are not prepared to loan him out.


"And we did what we can do to say look 'if he isn't going to play for you and you are thinking of loaning him out again can you loan him back to us?'"

The midfielder started his career at Chelsea in their youth system before making his senior debut in 2014. He has played for the Blues 22 times before he was loaned out last summer.