Antonio Conte has told Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi to make the most of his latest audition against Bournemouth by proving that he is deserving of regular football.
The Belgium international will make just his sixth start of the season in all competitions in Wednesday night's EFL Cup quarter-final tie.
Batshuayi has been left frustrated by a lack of first-team action since arriving in a £33m deal from Marseille last year, with Conte even opting to go without a recognised striker in the injury absence of Alvaro Morata recently.
Conte has offered the 24-year-old a chance to prove his worth, however, telling reporters: "He has to show me that he's better than Morata, or than [Eden] Hazard. It's very simple. Michy is coming from an injury. Don't forget this. Michy stopped for maybe two weeks, 18 days, and then he needed to work.
"Now I think it's right for him to start the game against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup. But I repeat: in every game, I have to make the best decision for the team. Against Huddersfield we won 3-1 and I think I made the best decision to start with Hazard, Pedro and Willian. It was the same against Southampton.
"Every game I've played Hazard, Pedro and Willian together, they've won. Last season and this season. But don't forget that Michy, this season, is playing more than last season. Last season he didn't play. He didn't play and I think this season, if you consider his injury for a month, he had his chance."
Chelsea have won eight of their last nine meetings against tonight's opponents Bournemouth.
Daniel Lewis
