Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has again defended the club's loan policy by stressing that Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham still have a Stamford Bridge future.
The pair are thriving away from West London in the opening months of the 2017-18 campaign, seeing their form rewarded with England caps against Germany and Brazil during the international break.
Loftus-Cheek has already played 500 minutes more for Crystal Palace in the Premier League this term than he did for Chelsea in the whole of last season, while Abraham has notched five goals in 14 appearances at Swansea City.
Conte insists that both players have a part to play at Chelsea in the long term, however, telling reporters: "I think we are talking about two really good young players. Ruben and Tammy will be the future for Chelsea.
"Now it's right for them to play regularly. Ruben said that his path is perfect and to play regularly this season is very important for his development. Then he can come back and play for Chelsea with greater maturity.
"It's the same path as [Andreas] Christensen. He played for two years on loan and now he's playing regularly for Chelsea. He's young but an important Chelsea player."
Christensen, who spent two years on loan with Borussia Monchengladbach, has been used 12 times since returning in the summer.
Daniel Lewis
