Crystal Palace midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has admitted that he worried about his chances of making England's World Cup squad after suffering an ankle injury.
The 22-year-old feared that he would have to undergo surgery after suffering the problem in December, which could have effectively ruled him out of contention for a seat on the plane to Russia.
However, the midfielder, who is on loan at Selhurst Park from Chelsea, returned to action in Palace's 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town earlier this month.
"Of course the World Cup has been in the back of my mind," Loftus-Cheek told the London Evening Standard. "At the start when surgery was mentioned I thought, 'That sounds bad'. It was very scary because we did not know how long it would take and it was waiting to decide what was the best road to go down.
"I went back to Chelsea for physio and rehab. We did not know what I had done at first. My right ankle took a little bit of a fracture. It was either surgery or try and let it heal by itself. It was tough but I knew if I got back I could get into the World Cup squad."
Loftus-Cheek was not included in Gareth Southgate's England squad for recent friendlies.
Danielle Joynson
