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Rodriguez in contention to start for Everton

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 03: James Rodriguez of Everton looks on during the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park on October 03, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 03: James Rodriguez of Everton looks on during the Premier League match between Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park on October 03, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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As we countdown to this afternoon’s Premier League match at Southampton, it’s been revealed that James Rodriguez did travel to the south coast yesterday with his Everton team mates.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has been keeping everyone on their toes these past few days with the ever-changing situation regarding the Colombian star.

First came the slightly surprising announcement that he would be missing for today’s game after a delayed reaction to Virgil Van Dijk’s tackle in the opening moments of last weekend’s derby.

That was certainly bad news for Evertonians and together with Richarlison’s three-game suspension, represented a double blow to the Toffees hopes.

Rodriguez, despite only joining Everton a few weeks ago has already become indispensable to the Blues dynamic new look attack.

Then it seemed that in fact he might actually be fit enough to take some part at least in the match this afternoon. Now it seems as though that’s a certainly as he has been included in the Toffees party travelling to St Mary’s.

So it seems he will be able to contribute to today’s match, at least to some extent. I’m not sure whether he will start and given that he was a doubt right up until yesterday, it might make more sense for him to be on the bench and then come on if Everton are struggling and need him.

Given that, then the question is who would start in his place at kick-off? I think it could be Gylfi Sigurdsson who plays from the start, unless he take Andre Gomes place in midfield.

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If the Icelandic international does come into the starting eleven and take Rodriguez’s place and with Richarlison also out, then will the Toffees line up in a different way today?

Sigurdsson is much more of an orthodox number ten then the Colombian. He wouldn’t suit playing in that wide right position that Rodriguez operates in.

Alternatively, Sigurdsson might come into midfield in place of Andre Gomes who was poor in last Saturday’s derby game and so could lose his place.

If that’s the case then it’s possible Bernard may play if Ancelotti decides Rodriguez isn’t going to start and so the Blues can continue with a 4-3-3.

The manager may though simply decide to risk the former Real Madrid man from the start hoping for a couple of early goals and then take him off to rest him perhaps at half time or early in the second half.

Whatever he does do we’ll find out very soon. And whether he starts at 2 pm or comes on later, it’s good news that the Colombian is not out for any length of time as Everton seek to maintain their fine start to this season.

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