Everton failure to add new full-back immediately exposed
So it’s inevitably happened as Everton right-back and captain Seamus Coleman has been injured on interntional duty potentially exposing the failure to sign another full-back.
It was almost predicitable that having been unable or unwilling to do enough to get another player in at this position would come back to haunt Everton at the first opportunity.
Coleman has picked up an unspecified injury while playing for the Republic of Ireland in this past week’s internationals and is out for an unknown amount of time.
Of course it’s possible he might not miss any games for the Toffees if he’s not seriously hurt, but given his and the Blues history of bad luck it’s likely the worst outcome is more probable!
Anyway, this injury has left manager Rafa Benitez with a major headache as he prepares for Everton’s next Premier League match a week from today when they host Burnley.
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The obvious choice to take Coleman’s place in the team is Jonjo Kenny but he is relatively unproven in the Premier League having only played a few times previously.
There are other possible options for Benitez to consider as we’ve discussed before but it’s uncertain whether the manager will explore them.
In another story centering around a transfer that didn’t take place in the summer window, Manchester United and Holland midfielder Donny van de Beek’s agent has claimed that he had talks with the Toffees about a move to Goodison Park for the Dutchman.
This was one of several potential moves that could have happened on deadline day but didn’t.
And like Ainsley Maitland-Niles proposed switch from Arsenal, in both cases the respective clubs blocked such moves despite the two players appearing ready to join the Blues.
These situations are frustrating for the Toffees and while neither player might have been ideal they could have helped give Benitez other much-needed options both at right-back and in midfield.