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LONDON -- Antonio Conte insists that Michy Batshuayi wants to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea, and says the Belgian will not have to wait too much longer to get his chance to impress in the first team. Batshuayi, who arrived at Chelsea from Marseille in a £33 million deal last summer, was expected to be handed his first Premier League start of the season in place of the suspended Diego Costa when Bournemouth visited Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. But Conte instead opted to deploy Eden Hazard as a false nine in his 3-4-3 system, only bringing on a visibly dejected Batshuayi in the fourth minute of injury time with Chelsea 3-0 up before making a point to embrace the 23-year-old on the pitch at the final whistle. Batshuayi's lack of involvement frustrated many Chelsea supporters, but while Conte says the Belgian needs time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, he is adamant that his young striker will be given an opportunity to showcase his ability soon. Asked if he had spoken to Batshuayi after the Bournemouth game, Conte replied: "Usually when I talk with my players I prefer to keep it a secret what is said in the conversation. For Michy, I think that he's working very well, he's improving a lot, and I'm sure that, in the future, he will have his chance to play. "He wants to stay [at Chelsea]. I repeat: He's a young player. We are talking about a player who is 23. He's starting his path in football. He has great talent, great potential, and I think it's very important for him as a footballer to complete this season [here]. He wants to stay, and I'm happy for this. "But it's not easy to play in this league, and it's important to adapt in physical and tactical situations. We are working a lot with him and also the other players to improve this situation. For me, it's important to see great attitude and behaviour in each training session. That's the most important thing." Batshuayi's only starts for Chelsea this season have come in the EFL Cup, leading many to suggest that his next chance to lead the line will come when the Blues take on Peterborough in the FA Cup third round on Jan. 8. But with Premier League matches against Stoke City and Tottenham to navigate first, Conte would not be drawn on his selection plans. "It's important to think about tomorrow," the Italian insisted. "I don't want to speak about a game that we'll have seven or eight days to work for. It's important now to be focused and for Michy to be available tomorrow. If I need him tomorrow he must be ready to play. Then we'll have another game against Tottenham, and then the FA Cup game."
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