Report: Everton midfielder picks up injury on international duty
Everton midfielder Allan is a doubt for Brazil’s meeting with Uruguay on Tuesday after picking up an injury against Venezuela.
According to a report in Globo Esporte, the 29-year-old felt muscular pain after the match on Friday and is now a doubt going forward.
At this stage, it is not yet known how long he could be out, but Brazil boss Tite described the problem as a “clinical” issue (via Sport Witness).
Everton will be hoping that the decision to leave him out on Tuesday is just a precaution and that Allan will be fit to face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
The Toffees have lost their last three Premier League matches and sit seventh in the division.
Since arriving from Napoli over the summer, Allan has been outstanding in the centre of the Everton midfield.
Averaging 51 passes at an 88.8% completion rate and 4.6 tackles per game, he has been effective in both attack and defence, adding a level of bite to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. No player in the entire league averages more tackles per game than the Everton man (via WhoScored).
Able to hold at the base, he has allowed more attacking players like Andre Gomes, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Abdoulaye Doucoure to go forward.
In his absence, Fabian Delph can fill in, but the former Manchester City man does not offer the same level of passing range or the defensive output. Gomes can be used as a deep-lying playmaker, but he too is not a natural defensive shield.
Against a struggling Fulham side, Ancelotti should be able to survive without Allan, but he will not want his summer addition to be out for any longer.
In other Everton news, View: The 23y/o who Everton cannot seem to win without