Chelsea: If merit means anything, Michy Batshuayi should be in the next XI

Chelsea have three strikers, two of whom are playing and not scoring. That’s the clearest sign possible it is time to try the third.

Merit. It’s a word that was thrown around a lot last season at Chelsea. It’s still being flung around this season.

Merit was often mentioned when fans wanted a player in the starting line-up, or when they wanted one out. Allocating playing time by merit is something that every fan agrees with, to an extent. Frank Lampard – for the most part – has been giving playing time by merit. It is therefore surprising that he has not given Michy Batshuayi a look-in this season.

Yes, Lampard sees all the things we do not. Yes, he’s the manager and can field any player he wants. However, it is no news that Chelsea has had a striker problem for years.

They blew their chance to buy an actual striker when they signed Gonzalo Higuaín on loan from Juventus.

Chelsea has Olivier Giroud, Michy Batshuayi, and Tammy Abraham on their roster. Only two have been given a chance this season, and Chelsea has still found it difficult to get goals from their strikers. It’s hard to escape the thought Lampard should give the third one a try – the worst that could happen is that he won’t score, making him just as prolific as… the two currently playing.

Both Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi scored two goals in preseason. Tammy Abraham has not been scoring goals in the competitive season, so Batshuayi should be given a chance at this point.

Chelsea are still in the early stages of their season. While Lampard may still be working towards his final decision on what his Premier League line-up will be, things are starting to look settled.

The decision to start Abraham on the opening day of the Premier League was a good one. It was an opportunity to give Tammy Abraham Premier League experience. The opening day of league football has little to nothing at stake, so that made sense.

Abraham did not score, hence the decision to start Olivier Giroud in Istanbul. Giroud scored. It was therefore completely justifiable and defensible to start Giroud again against Leicester City. What was baffling, though, was naming Abraham to the bench again, rather than Batshuayi. Batshuayi should have had that chance.

Everybody was enchanted by Abraham’s interview where he said he’d fight for his place. Chelsea fans love the idea of players fighting for their place, but it is important to note that you can only fight when you’re given a chance. You can only fight an opponent when you’re allowed into the ring.

For all those who would say Batshuayi is not Premier league standard and other assorted inanities, they should really inquire whether any Chelsea strikers are Premier League standard. Hard to say they are when they’re not scoring goals.

Michy Batshuayi has experience in three top-five leagues, succeeding as a goal-scorer at two. He was loaned to Borussia Dortmund where he did very well. Next was a loan to Valencia, where he did not do so well. Then he was loaned to Crystal Palace where he did reasonably well, considering that Palace strikers are hardly ever at the top of any scoring chart. Oh, and he secured Chelsea the title in the 2016/17 season.

I love the idea of integrating youth as much as the next guy, but if said youth is not getting the job done, it is no longer a matter of giving youth a chance, it is now a case of playing youth just for the sake of it, and that is silly.

Chelsea will need to utilize all their players this season. After a long 120 minutes at Istanbul, we expected to see some fresh legs.

Frank Lampard obviously knows what he’s doing, and it’s OK to not have a certain player in your plan. But if those in your plan are not getting the job done you may need to rethink the plan.

Chelsea need to start scoring goals. If they’re not coming from the two strikers in the current rotation, send out the third.