3 most improved Chelsea players from the preseason so far

#2 Ross Barkley

Ross Barkley at the Barcelona v Chelsea - Preseason Friendly

Last season was expected to be the ice-breaker for Ross Barkley. However, things went south and Barkley ended up being nothing more than a rotational player. While this was a result of his average performances, Ruben Loftus-Cheek's form also played a part.

However, with Loftus-Cheek's injury before the Europa League final, doors have opened up for Barkley. They say, "One man's loss is another man's gain." This saying fits well into the current situation of Ross Barkley.

So, the biggest problem with Barkley's game last season was that he was way too cautious. He seemed afraid to drive forward and just wasn't looking confident enough in attack. Perhaps it was the pressure of keeping his place in the starting lineup or maybe he just wasn't mentally prepared.

This preseason, Barkley is starting to play like the player Chelsea paid a handsome amount for. A factor that could be responsible for this change is probably the formation. With a double pivot at the base, Barkley gets a lot of freedom to roam into space. With Sarri's huge defensive demands last season, he just wasn't able to get that creative freedom.

Throughout the preseason games, Barkley has been putting himself into good positions. He has been running between the lines and dribbling his way forward. It seems that he has finally let go of his nervousness as he is now often going one-on-one with defenders.

This season should turn out to be the most important season of Barkley's career. Gone are the days when he was considered the "next big thing". It is time to finally convert all the potential into performances.