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Gbamin edging closer to Everton return

By Matt Townsend

Ivory Coast's midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin (R) fights for the ball with Algeria's midfielder Sofiane Feghouli during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter final football match between Ivory Coast and Algeria at the Suez stadium in Suez on July 11, 2019. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
Ivory Coast's midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin (R) fights for the ball with Algeria's midfielder Sofiane Feghouli during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter final football match between Ivory Coast and Algeria at the Suez stadium in Suez on July 11, 2019. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo credit should read FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Don’t hold your breath but Jean-Philippe Gbamin is edging ever closer to a return to the Everton squad after 18 months out.

This won’t be news to get many Everton supporters too excited, but according to Carlo Ancelotti the Ivory Coast midfielder is closing in on his return.

Gbmain has been the long lost footballer who signed, played a couple of games and then was cut down with injury never to be seen again.

His absence I think played an important role in the eventual sacking of Marco Silva as he was brought in to be a key player for the then Toffees manager and replace Idrissa Gueye.

His injuries kept him out of the team throughout the first part of last season when the Blues desperately needed his defensive strength, workrate and energy in the middle.

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Without either Gana or Gbmain Silva couldn’t effectively play his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, which depended on having that type of player able to hold the midfield together, do the running and make the system work properly.

Gbamin never came back from his first injury, the team’s results declined and eventually Silva was sacked, leading ultimately to Ancelotti taking over as Everton manager.

The Italian then signed his own defensive lynchpin this past summer in Brazilian international Allan from Napoli.

He’s been a great success at Goodison Park sitting in midfield and providing that crucial screen in front of a constantly uncertain defence missing since Gueye left. But now he is out injured of course and might not return until the beginning of next month.

Without Allan the Toffees midfield has lacked the commitment and bite he has brought to the side. No one else can adequately replace that influence.

But maybe if Gbamin is able to return in the next few weeks he might offer that although he’s likely to need a few games to get back to anything like his best.

His versatility will also be important as the former Mainz player can drop back into central defence so also giving hopefully improved squad depth in that critical area too.