Confirmed – Everton boss Ancelotti reveals reason for Digne absence v Arsenal
Lucas Digne missed Everton’s trip to Arsenal on Sunday because of a muscle strain, according to manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The French left-back was absent from the Toffees’ 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, with veteran deputy Leighton Baines taking his place.
Prior to Sunday’s clash, the 26-year-old had missed just one Premier League game for the Toffees this season – against Newcastle United in late December.
But his boss has since confirmed the reason for him missing the defeat to the Gunners.
As quoted by the Echo, he said: “Digne had a problem during the week and tried to train yesterday but was not confident, so I preferred to leave him at home to train and be ready for the next game.”
How important is it to get Digne back?
Very.
The Frenchman has established himself as a key player at Goodison Park, and his presence was missed on Sunday.
Baines has been a fine servant for the club through the years, and he put in a good shift on Sunday, but it’s clear that he’s not operating at the same level that he was a few seasons ago.
Digne, on the other hand, has been going from strength to strength.
So far this season he has averaged 2.2 tackles and 2.3 key passes per game, as per Whoscored – a perfect illustration of how important he is at both ends of the field.
Not only is he defensively sound, but he also provides a vital creative outlet too.
Hopefully things aren’t too serious, because the sooner he is back, the better.
In other Everton news, ‘Woeful’ – These Toffees fans rip into one player v Arsenal.