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Cesar Azpilicueta hailed Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a "full-fledged" player after the English international stepped off the bench to score the winning goal in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Cardiff on Sunday.
Chelsea worked hard to win the Welsh capital and only got three points after Azpilicueta's controversial tie and Loftus-Cheek's next win in the final six minutes of regulation time.
It was a crucial win for Chelsea, knowing that the competition would rank among the top four spots in the Premier League season. Loftus-Cheek hopes that its decisive impact at the end of the match may offer better opportunities for the first team.
The 23-year-old has been limited to just one start of the Premier League season for Chelsea this season. He played 16 more matches on the substitutes' bench. Azpilicueta believes that injury problems are responsible for his stop-start campaign.
Azpilicueta said on his website: "I have known him since I came here and his big problem was injuries. He was not able to stay long in the team, he did not have a lot of playing time, which makes it harder to get in the rhythm of the team, but he has recently become involved.
"He started the games, played 90 minutes, he improved a lot and I'm sure he will be even more important in the future.
"He has a better understanding of the game when he has to drive with the ball and he has incredible strength, he can pbad the defenders, go into the area, score goals and defend, he is a complete player."
More: Soccer
Loftus-Cheek has struggled to maintain a consistent spot in Chelsea since joining the first team at age 18 under Jose Mourinho's control and was on loan to Crystal Palace last quarter.
After the victory over Cardiff, the midfielder greeted the fans with these words: "He was my first winner of Chelsea's last chance and it was fantastic to celebrate with the fans.
"I have a very good connection with the fans, they have been great with me since I started, so I can only thank them."
More: Chelsea FC
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