Ronald Koeman confirms why midfielder Gareth Barry was missing from the Everton squad for Saturday’s opening Premier League game versus Stoke City.
When the Everton squad was officially confirmed for the weekend clash with Stoke, Gareth Barry was a surprise omission. While he may no longer command a regular place in the starting lineup, he remains a valuable option off the bench.
So what gives? Does manager Ronald Koeman no longer rate Barry, or have confidence in his ability to do a job for the team?
The simple answer is “no”. The 36-year-old was left out of the matchday squad, due to injury.
Barry twisted his ankle during training, in the buildup to Saturday’s game versus the Potters. That the news did not come out sooner, provides faith in the Blues’ ability to keep information under wraps.
The question is, how long will the midfielder be out of action? Koeman gave his opinion on Saturday evening, as reported by Everton.com:
"“Gareth twisted his ankle in our training session last Wednesday,” said Koeman. “He will be out for one more week… but it won’t be long.”"
Depending on how accurate this prognosis is — and Koeman stressed it isn’t set in stone — Barry will miss Thursday’s Europa League first leg playoff game, at home to Hajduk Split. It will then be as case of seeing if he is back for next Monday’s big league game, away to his previous team, Manchester City.
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That the Hastings-born player is even injured, is somewhat unusual. Since first coming to Everton in September 2013 (on loan), he has been remarkably durable, averaging nearly 40 games per season.
The injury delays Barry’s assault on history. He sits just four games short of Ryan Giggs’ Premier League record (632 games) for most appearances.
Whether the former England international gets to achieve the new record in an Everton shirt, remains to be seen. Apart from his ankle injury, there is speculation he could move before the close of the summer transfer window, although it should be noted Koeman would prefer him to stay.
Next: 3 takeaways from 1-0 win versus Stoke
What has been your highlight or highlights of Barry’s time on Merseyside? Do you still see him playing a key part in any success the Blues have, or are you okay if they decide to let him leave? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.