Jan 31, 2018 at 7.45pm UK at ​Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,464
Chelsea
0-3
Bournemouth

Fabregas (77')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Wilson (51'), Stanislas (64'), Ake (67')

Antonio Conte plays down talk of imminent Michy Batshuayi exit

Conte plays down talk of Batshuayi exit
© SilverHub
Antonio Conte suggests that Michy Batshuayi will not be leaving Chelsea on deadline day, potentially affecting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's proposed switch to Arsenal.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed that he intends to include Michy Batshuayi in his squad to face Bournemouth on Wednesday, effectively ruling out a deadline-day exit.

The Belgium international was expected to be offloaded in the remaining hours of the January transfer window in search of regular first-team action elsewhere, either permanently or on a temporary deal.

Borussia Dortmund are rumoured to have shown a strong interest in Batshuayi, seeing him as a perfect stopgap solution to the exit of Arsenal-bound Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang until the end of the campaign.

Conte does not expect any outgoing business between now and tomorrow night's cut-off point, however, which coincides with Chelsea's home match against Bournemouth.

"He is in contention for tomorrow's game. I don't know [about a move to Dortmund]," he said at his pre-match press conference. "Now, he is a Chelsea player and for this reason he is in contention.

"[Alvaro] Morata is still injured and I don't have other options, especially as Willian is also injured. [Eden] Hazard can play number nine but then to find a solution to find another number 10.

"It's not simple, this situation with Batshuayi. There is only one day [left in the window]. It's not the best situation for me or the player but, as you know very well, the transfer market in January is not simple to find a solution for players coming in and going out.

"But the player knows very well the situation. Today he trained well and I prepared the game with him. You don't know what will happen tonight or tomorrow. We must be ready to face every situation. It's not the best situation to face, but we have to face it."

Should Batshuayi remain at Stamford Bridge, it may have a knock-on effect in Arsenal's pursuit of Aubameyang.

Share this article now:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action during the Champions League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund on September 13, 2017
Read Next:
Report: Aubameyang travelling to London
>
You May Like
Recomended from Sports Mole

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City25222173185568
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd25165449183153
3Liverpool25148357292850
4Chelsea25155545192650
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs25146549222748
6Arsenal25126746341242
7Burnley259882022-235
8Leicester CityLeicester259793734334
9Everton2587102840-1231
10Bournemouth2577112836-828
11Watford2576123344-1127
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham2569103143-1227
13Crystal Palace2568112338-1526
14Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2566132335-1224
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2559111834-1624
16Stoke CityStoke2566132550-2524
17Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2566131944-2524
18Southampton25411102536-1123
19Swansea CitySwansea2565141836-1823
20West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom25311111934-1520
Login, I already have my ad-free pass
Log in with Facebook to customise Sports Mole
Buy ad-free access (show me the options)
Buy monthly ad-free access for £1.20/month
Buy yearly ad-free access for £12 (2 months free)
Settings - Logout - Manage your account
Settings - Logout - Manage your account