Chelsea will have to be without two vital players in their campaign this year. Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante have both been suspended for the upcoming Boxing Day match against AFC Bournemouth.
Costa, who is leading Chelsea with 13 goals in the Premier League, will most likely be replaced with youngster Michy Batshuayi. Kante's replacement will be up for manager Antonio Conte to decide.
Matic weighs in
Fellow defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic spoke to the club regarding the suspensions, mainly focusing on the striker situation.
"We have to cope with that, you have situations like this during the season, but other teams also have their problems," Matic told Chelsea's official website.
He added, "[Costa and Kante] are both important players for us but the next game we play is at home and we have to do our best to get three points."
Matic remained calm and put faith into his teammates, stating he wants Batshuayi to be the man to decide the game.
"We won’t have Diego against Bournemouth but I hope Michy will be the man to decide the game. If he does that it will be good for us," he explained. "He is a great striker, for sure, that is why Chelsea bought him. I’m sure if he gets a chance to score in the next game, he’ll take it."
If the Belgian striker starts it will be his first start since his move to Stamford Bridge.
Batshuayi's growth
Being under the wing of a star for quite some time will have a positive effect on your play. Matic said that Batshuayi has greatly benefitted training with the Spaniard: "Of course he has benefited from working with him. It was the same with me seven years ago. It is good for Michy and a good experience for him to see Diego’s movement."
The Blues will look to keep their six-point lead at the top of the table as they host Bournemouth this upcoming Monday.