Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has revealed that Michy Batshuayi will indeed cover the suspended number one option, Diego Costa, against Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Alongside N’Golo Kante, Diego Costa is ruled out of our next game due to an automatic one-match ban for picking up five yellow cards during the first half of the campaign.
The Serbian believes that Chelsea’s summer signing can make an impact despite not starting a single league game for the Blues since making a £33.1m switch to Stamford Bridge from Olympique de Marseille in July.
The Belgium international did well in August to score three goals in two matches, and Matic explained how it’s hard for Batshuayi to get a chance in the same team with a world-class striker such as Diego Costa, but claims that training with him is already a huge benefit.
When you have Diego in the team it is very hard to get a chance because he is playing so well and scoring goals.
But I’m sure Michy is ready to take his opportunity because he is working hard every day. He is a good man.
We won’t have Diego against Bournemouth but I hope Michy will be the man to decide the game. If he does that it will be good for us. He is a great striker, for sure, that is why Chelsea bought him. I’m sure if he gets a chance to score in the next game, he’ll take it.
Of course he has benefited from working with Costa. It was the same with me seven years ago [in Matic’s first spell at the club]. It was very good for me to see how Frank Lampard played, how Michael Ballack played and Michael Essien. So it is good for Michy and a good experience for him to see Diego’s movement. He will have learned from watching and playing with Diego [in training].
– Nemanja Matic, London Evening Standard
Batshuayi has made 12 appearances for Chelsea, which have mostly been from the bench. Diego Costa on the other hand is in the bets form he’s so far been at Chelsea and has already bagged 13 goals this season.
