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Midfield dynamo Doucoure may return for Everton against Man City

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton in action with Jacob Ramsay of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Everton and Aston Villa at Goodison Park on January 22, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton in action with Jacob Ramsay of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Everton and Aston Villa at Goodison Park on January 22, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) /
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After another hugely depressing defeat at Southampton last Saturday, Everton boss Frank Lampard has hinted key players might be fit for the visit of Manchester City.

In particular, the manager said that Abdoulaye Doucoure could well be ready to return when Everton host champions City next weekend.

Demarai Gray is also probably close to begin fully fit again after missing out on the Saints trip, and if so it would be a further major boost for Lampard as he prepares for such a massive test.

Once again against Southampton the Toffees midfield was overrun and outfought by the home team at St Mary’s. This was a big reason for defeat of course.

We’ve seen this so many times before when the Blues go away from home and it is a fundamental reason why this team struggles so often.

Understandably, going into the match Lampard decided to stick with the same side that so comprehensively beat Leeds in the previous match.

However, as many suspected might be the case, that starting eleven wasn’t able to reproduce such a performance when away from the comfort of Goodison Park.

Playing just two central midfielders also didn’t work at St Mary’s as both Allan (who was eventually substituted) and Donny van de Beek were swamped and couldn’t achieve the control they had enjoyed against Leeds. The Dutchman, not surprisingly given his lack of game-time recently, also seemed to run out of steam later in the match.

I’ve said it many times and plenty of others have too, that Everton need a three-man midfield as a default tactical position to give greater stability and control and better protect that vulnerable defence. I also wanted another powerful midfielder in the transfer window but that didn’t happen.

So, the possibility of Doucoure returning to fitness couldn’t be better timed. His return to the team would give Lampard a key player and another option to strengthen the middle of the park while enabling him to play three.

Doucoure at his best gives that energy and box-to-box commitment needed in the engine room and I also think Allan is a more effective player when the Frenchman is alongside him.

The problem will be his lack of recent match-fitness as he’s been out twice already this season and who he will line up with. Presumably both Allan and van de Beek will continue to play even though each of them had poor games at Southampton.

Hopefully, a fit and focussed Doucoure will make a significant difference as Everton try to find a way to go toe-to-toe with City on Saturday. He will be needed too as the team enter a run of fixtures that could go a long way to deciding the outcome to the campaign.