Antonio Conte delivers update on Michy Batshuayi's future

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has cited that he may not loan out Michy Batshuayi this month regardless of the club's pursuit of a new marksman.

The Belgium international notched his ninth and tenth goals of the campaign on Sunday as he helped the Blues seal a 3-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round.

Speaking after the game, Conte admitted that it is not certain that Batshuayi would depart upon the arrival of a new striker, whilst he would also be content with the club sticking with their current options.

"It doesn't mean if we take another player Michy has to go on loan, because we have a lot of competitions. If the club wants to add players to this squad, or if we want to continue with only two strikers - Morata and Batshuayi - I'd be happy in both cases. We have to see what happens during the transfer market," he is quoted as saying by ESPN.

Morata is likely to miss the midweek Premier League clash versus Bournemouth due to personal reasons, and there is every chance that Batshuayi will earn his 11th start of the campaign with Pedro not in the best of form.

Chelsea are currently placed third in the top-flight table with 50 points, 15 behind league leaders Manchester City, who are clear favourites to secure the English crown for the first time since the 2013/14 season.