Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed the reason why new striker Michy Batshuayi has been mostly glued to the bench this season.
The striker came in from Marseille over the summer with high expectations, having scored 17 Ligue 1 goals for the French side last season, but hasn't been able to displace -or start alongside - the in-form Diego Costa.
He should get himself a start against Bournemouth on Boxing Day, however, with Costa set to miss the fixture as a result of a one-game suspension.
Conte, meanwhile, has admitted that the player is struggling to adapt to the Premier League, but is working very well to get himself in shape to compete in a new country.
Conte: 'Michy is working very well. We must be patient with him. The next step for him is to play more this season.' #CFC
"Yes, I spoke about Michy in the post game [after beating Crystal Palace], and I said that it's not easy to arrive in this league, to play in this league if you are a young player," he said in a press conference on Thursday.
"You are arriving in a new country, it's difficult, especially for a young player to adapt because this league is very tough. This league is very physical, very strong.
"Michy is working very well, we must have patience with him, to help him.
Conte says it's not easy to arrive in this league as a young player from another country and adapt straight away. #CFC
"The next step is to play more this season.But I repeat, it's not easy to adapt to this league, to arrive and to play."
The Blues have been on an amazing winning streak of 11 games, and lead the league by six points going into Christmas.
A 12th win would see them maintain their firm grip on the top flight, but as mentioned before, they will be without their top scorer Costa, as well as the ubiquitousN'Golo Kante, who will also sit this one out with a suspension.