Confusion over Everton starters as Leeds trip looms
As Everton prepare to face Leeds United this afternoon at Elland Road there is still some uncertainty over who exactly is available to play.
Everton boss Rafa Benitez has been less than totally clear about the status of several players who were absent from last weekend’s opening day win over Southampton.
The Toffees manager has spoken to the media and said that of those absentees only striker Moise Kean is definately in contention to face the Yorkshire club.
While we know James Rodriguez is again unavailable (and I personally don’t think he will play for Everton again) defender Ben Godfrey is also still out as Jean-Philippe Gbamin who must be close to some sort of record for the most injury-prove and unluckest player ever to join this club!
All of which makes for some disconcerting reading for Blues supporters as we count down to a tough examination at Leeds.
It’s a bit of a mess really and only underlines the need for more reinforcements before the transfer window shuts in ten days time.
However, that seems increasingly unlikely – unless it’s a deadline day scramble for loan deals – as time ticks on and despite endless rumours of bids for this player and that, no new faces have joined since Demarai Gray, apart from another reserve goalkeeper in Andy Lonergan.
With Kean back in the squad it’s possible the Italian will get some playing time at some point today as Benitez will want to assess the 20-year-old given that it seems more likely than ever he will still be an Everton player on 31 August.
The club’s financial woes are really coming home to roost now after years of almost indiscriminate spending on a host of footballers many of whom have delivered little or nothing, leading to a build up of massive debt and the danger of falling foul of those FFP regulations.
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This was compounded then by the impact of Covid restrictions last season and so it leaves Benitez and Marcel Brands with very little room for manouvre.
In some ways it might be a blessing in diguise given the club’s transfer track record over the past few years! And as any Liverpool fan will tell you Benitez signed his fair share of less than successful players in his time at Anfield.
But it does mean every player brought in to Goodison Park now has to be a success given how little money is available.
It could be a pointer to how many clubs will have operate in the future as apart from the ‘big’ clubs who seem basically immune from the rules applied to the rest, big spending on transfer fees are likely to become less realistic. So astute loan deals may become the way of the world from now on.
Anyway, getting back to today’s match and given all this uncertainty and player absences it does seem very probably that Benitez will line up at kick off with the same eleven apart from Yerry Mina perhaps coming in for Micheal Keane or Mason Holgate.