View: Coleman injury to give Holgate chance to impress for Everton
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Seamus Coleman won’t be available to feature when Everton take on Manchester City on Sunday.
Coleman has featured prominently in recent months, occupying the right flank for Everton, however Ancelotti will now be forced to find a replacement.
The Toffees face a very slim chance of qualifying for Europe this season, however with the club still mathematically in the race Ancelotti will demand maximum effort from his team.
Mason Holgate has somewhat struggled to impress in recent weeks, having found himself in and out of the starting line-up on Merseyside.
The former Barnsley man has been on the wrong end of a number of individual errors, most notably giving two goals away against Tottenham, and that has led to him falling behind Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey in the preferred pecking order.
However Coleman’s absence may give him another chance to shine.
Ancelotti is likely to stick with three central defenders for the trip to the Etihad with the Blues’ defensive shape crucial to securing points against the Premier League champions.
Alex Iwobi an option on the right would prove to be too offensive, leading Ancelotti to turn to Holgate as someone who can offer offensive width while prioritising defensive shape.
Holgate’s inconsistent performances this season have led to reports claiming that the 24-year old could leave Goodison Park this summer, with Everton seemingly keen on signing a new centre-back.
However Holgate does possess versatility that both Keane and Mina don’t, and that gives him an edge in any prospective fight to remain an Everton player.
Should Ancelotti name Holgate in the starting line-up against Man City on Sunday, and there’s every chance that he will, the final game of the season for the Toffees could be the perfect opportunity for the defender to prove his worth and show Ancelotti that he deserves to remain on Merseyside for the foreseeable future.
In other Everton news, the Blues are in advanced talks over a mega-money sale of this player.
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