Report: Southgate considers Johnstone call-up amid Pickford injury issue
Gareth Southgate is considering calling up Sam Johnstone ahead of England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford an injury doubt.
Pickford was forced off in the first-half against Burnley on Saturday after inflaming a previous rib injury, which resulted in Joao Virginia making his Premier League debut.
With Robin Olsen out, Pickford’s knock could prove to be a major blow for Everton if the damage is revealed to be worse than feared.
Carlo Ancelotti expressed hope that Pickford wouldn’t be out for long, while the England international was set to undergo scans on Sunday to determine the damage.
Mail Online report that England are now sweating on Pickford’s availability, and may be forced to turn to Johnstone ahead of their games against Albania, San Marino and Poland.
Pickford is desperate to be included in the qualifiers, as he looks to establish himself as Southgate’s undisputed first choice ahead of the Euros later this summer.
There is a silver lining
If Southgate is concerned about Pickford’s fitness, that could indicate that there is concern to be had, which isn’t ideal for Everton.
However, on the flip side it isn’t the worst thing in the world that Pickford might remain on Merseyside during the upcoming international break.
International football always brings the risk of injury, which is something we don’t need right now, but in today’s climate it also brings the risk of infection – which is still a possibility in spite of safety precautions.
Everton’s final stretch of the season will define the following campaign, with European football still very much on the cards if we can see the side strike up some degree of late season consistency.
With that in mind it is probably beneficial in a way that Pickford won’t be putting himself at further risk of being ruled out long-term, and instead he could focus on recovery at Finch Farm.
Either way we hope he recovers well and he recovers quickly, because the remaining ten games will be massive for the club.
In other Everton news, Ancelotti is interested in selling Lucas Digne in order to fund a move for Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon.