Loftus-Cheek has been sidelined for the majority of the 2019/20 campaign due to a serious Achilles injury but the midfielder was nearing a return to full fitness before the coronavirus crisis halted football in the UK.
According to Zola, Loftus-Cheek can win over Chelsea boss Frank Lampard if he regains the physical power that set him apart under former boss Maurizio Sarri.
“There’s so many right now in the Premier League that are exciting to watch,” Zola told Sky Sports’ The Football Show.
“The front players for Liverpool, many others. I like [James] Maddison a lot from Leicester, he’s a player that has very good potential.
“I also like very much last year Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He’s a player that, if he can recover his physical potential, he can be an amazing player. Players like [Eden] Hazard were special last year, he was unbelievable. “There is one player that is a game-changer and that is [Kevin] De Bruyne for City.
“He knows how to do everything, he can set people for assist, he can score, he can defend, he can build the play. I think he’s becoming an amazing player.”