Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has insisted that Blues striker Michy Batshuayi is part of his plans at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian is yet to make a competitive appearance under the new Blues boss, and was an unused substitute in the UEFA Super Cup against Liverpool on Wednesday night.
The striker spent a lot of time away from Stamford Bridge on loan, with spells at Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and Crystal Palace over the past two seasons, but recent rumours suggested that Batshuayi could seal a more permanent switch to Roma over the next couple of weeks, with the Serie A side said to be targeting the Chelsea man.
However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Premier League meeting with Leicester City on Sunday, Chelsea boss Lampard has hinted that Batshuayi will be staying at Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable future.
"Michy’s here as one of our three strikers," he said.
"He’s very much in our plans and competing with Tammy and Oli for that space."
Cashing in on the Belgian would leave the club short on striking options going into the new season. A transfer ban means that Lampard is having to rely on players already at his disposal in order to have a successful campaign.
21-year-old Tammy Abraham was given the nod to start the opening Premier League game against Manchester United last week, while Lampard went with the experience of Olivier Giroud for the midweek match against Liverpool.
Batshuayi has scored 19 goals in 53 appearance in a Chelsea shirt and will be hoping to add to that tally under his new boss this season.
