Chelsea’s troubles up front are not helped by the fact that they are not able to recall on-loan striker Tammy Abraham back to the club from fellow Premier League side Swansea City.
The Blues are struggling in the striking department in the absence of Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, who is currently out with a hamstring injury. With backup striker Michy Batshuayi failing to make a lasting impression in the Premier League, Antonio Conte is looking elsewhere for firepower up front, and would have liked to be able to call on Abraham in January, but the Evening Standardreport that such a move will not be possible.
The report claims that the only clause in the deal agreed with Swansea, which would provide Chelsea with the right to recall Abraham, concerned the striker making a certain number of starts for the club; Abraham is racking up games in Wales so Chelsea will not be able to turn to that clause to bring him back to Stamford Bridge for the remainder of the season.
Michy Batshuayi has scored five goals this season, but none of them have come in the Premier League, and he failed to impress in the recent 2-1 away defeat to Crystal Palace, where he led the line but could not find the back of the net before reacting angrily to being substituted in the second half.
It is thought that Batshuayi’s poor showings in the league have seen him fall out of favour with manager Antonio Conte and it would be no surprise to see the Belgian striker move on in January, as suggested in the Standard’s report.
