Batshuayi joined the Stamford Bridge outfit from Marseille amidst reports Costa was set to return to La Liga with Atletico Madrid following a torrid last season.
However, an impressive return to form for the Spain striker has instead restricted Batshuayi to a diet of substitute appearances in the Premier League.
Wednesday’s EFL Cup derby at West Ham now gives the Belgium international a chance to stake his claim, and Conte insists he is satisfied with the 23-year-old’s work shadowing Costa as his understudy.
“The confidence for Michy must be high because he is a young player,” Conte told a prematch press conference. “For me he has shown great improvement. He has great ability and the technical aspect and the physical aspect. He can grow a lot and is working very well. I have full confidence in him and I am sure that if Michy plays [against West Ham] he will play a good game.
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“For sure [he can learn from Costa] because when you are in a great team and you have the possibility to work every day with a great player and learn a lot of things it is positive for him. Michy has great potential in the physical and technical aspect and we trust a lot in him. He must continue to work and to exploit the moment when he plays.”
As before Sunday’s 4-0 romp against Manchester United, Conte confirmed captain John Terry is fit for his first action since sustaining a foot injury against Swansea City on September 11.
Branislav Ivanovic and Kurt Zouma are building fitness after the latter played 45 minutes for Chelsea’s Under-23 side on Monday having recovered from a serious knee injury, although the match comes too soon for Cesc Fabregas.
“For Ivanovic, he is better because he started to train with us from yesterday, also today. He needs a bit of time to find the right shape to come back in,” Conte said. “For Cesc, he is still not well. We must wait because he had a muscular problem and we are waiting. We must be patient because the muscular problem is with his thigh. We hope to see him soon with the team and in a training session. I’m pleased because Zouma is a young player but is a good player. I hope to see him very, very soon - very soon for me is when we start the training session after West Ham.
“I hope he can work with us then. I am very happy that yesterday he played with the Under-23s. He had a good reaction in a physical aspect after the game.”
Conte added that Brazil winger Willian could return having been granted compassionate leave following the death of his mother.
“Willian is at a [better] moment now… before the moment wasn’t good but now, he is a fantastic man, we love him,” he said. “We need him as a fantastic man and a fantastic player.”
