Everton duo Jean-Phillipe Gbamin & Alex Iwobi thrown into African Cup of Nations doubt
Everton duo Jean-Phillipe Gbamin and Alex Iwobi have seen their next Premier League season thrown into the unknown.
The Liverpool Echo has shared the update after the African Cup of Nations was set to take place during January and February, but that could soon change.
Cameroon were set to host the tournament, but have requested that the draw be postponed after concerns over their safety to do so.
Gbamin and Iwobi could be set for bigger roles at Goodison Park next season, obviously depending on whoever is next in charge.
The Ivorian once again suffered an injury-ravaged season and has yet to prove his worth since joining from Mainz recently.
Iwobi, on the other hand, came with big expectations from Arsenal but is yet to live up to the expectations, leading to a fragile relationship with the fans.
Doubt.
It looks as though the tournament will go ahead with time to spare, but that all depends on finding a suitable replacement within the continent.
No matter who is leaving, and their stature in the squad, it isn’t great to be losing a couple of senior players midway through a Premier League campaign.
Gbamin has been given the time to recover fully from his injuries since the end of last season, and that could see a different player unleashed in August.
As for Iwobi, he has obviously shown some glimpses of promise, and we are hoping that whoever is the new manager can inject a new lease of life into his performances.
This is certainly one to keep an eye on, and it could be the difference between losing two players for a couple of months, or keeping them as the business end of the season starts to arrive.
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