Michy Batshuayi hasn’t exactly set the Premier League alight since his move to Chelsea this summer.
Then again, the forward hasn’t had much of chance to do so. With Antonio Conte cradling him in bubble wrap and Diego Costa rattling in the goals, the 23-year-old has been forced to make himself comfortable on the bench.
Nevertheless, on the eve of what promises to be his first ever Premier League start, Basthuayi’s minimal game time has been explained. On his manager’s own admission, the Belgian is struggling to adapt.
When Chelsea snapped up Batshuayi this summer, there was great excitement surrounding the deal.
After all, the Blues had repeatedly failed to provide Costa with a sufficient second in command. You’d be hard pressed to argue that Loic Remy, Alexandre Pato and Radamel Falcao alleviated weight from the shoulders of the Spaniard.
Moreover, the ex-Marseille striker hit the ground running. With a brace against Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup and a crucial goal versus Watford in a tight league win, Batshuayi showcased his abilities.
Since those early weeks though, he’s been confined to so little game time that he hasn’t had chance to kick on. With the Blues on a run of 11 consecutive wins, Conte has, with great justification, been reluctant to ring the changes. Besides, favoured striker Diego Costa is the league’s top scorer no less with 13 goals to his name.
That is all set to change on Boxing Day though with Costa missing out via suspension having picked up a fifth yellow card at Crystal Palace. Therefore, Batshuayi looks poised for his first league start for Chelsea.
Why has it taken so long for Conte to show faith in the Belgian though? According to the manager himself, it may not all be down to Costa’s electric form after all.
As per the Mirror, the 47-year-old revealed: “Michy is working very well, we must have patience with him, to help him.
“I spoke about Michy after Palace, and I said that it’s not easy to arrive in this league, to play in this league if you are a young player.
“You are arriving in a new country, it’s difficult, especially for a young player to adapt because this league is very tough.
“This league is very physical, very strong. The next step is to play more this season.”
Therefore, it’s clear that Conte has been wary of Batshuayi being overly exposed to the wayward tackles and flying boots of the Premier League. Besides, at least not currently, the Belgian forward isn’t renowned for his physicality.
Nevertheless, his manager showed intent to pass along more game time, in spite of Costa’s purple patch.
It can only be hoped for Chelsea and Batshuayi’s sake, that he does eventually adapt. After all, it would be a great shame to see a player with such talent waste away on the bench and be drip fed minutes on the pitch.
He’s simply too good for that.