The Chelsea and Manchester United players have benefited from being on loan at Crystal Palace.
It hasn’t been an easy season for Crystal Palace and the club still have much work to do in order to preserve their Premier League status, but two young players have gained “invaluable” experience this season, according to chairman Steve Parish.
Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah are spending the season at Palace on loan from Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.
Loftus-Cheek, who broke into the England senior squad earlier this season, has been a mainstay in the Palace side, while Fosu-Mensah has also now established himself as a regular in the starting lineup.
Parish also dismissed suggestions that Loftus-Cheek and Fosu-Mensah could be recalled early from their loan deals.
Parish told the Five Year Plan podcast: “I don’t think the clubs would want that [for their players to return early].
“I think the clubs sent them to us knowing it’s a two-way street, we get a good player and we develop them.
“They should be very happy with what’s happened to those players, the game time they’ve got, the coaching they’ve got.
“It’s all very well playing in training and playing in Under-23 games but Roy [Hodgson] teaches players how to win football matches in the Premier League which is an invaluable skill.”
Loftus-Cheek and Fosu-Mensah are both very talented players but the pair face a considerably difficult challenge in attempting to establish themselves in the starting lineup for their parent clubs.
For now, though, the prospects will be focused on attempting to ensure that Palace stay up, with Roy Hodgson’s side currently in 12th place in the Premier League table, five points above the relegation zone.
Next up for Palace is an away game against Arsenal on Saturday.
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