Ben Godfrey likely to deputise at right-back for Everton v Burnley
Seamus Coleman’s injury may give rise to Everton starting Ben Godfrey against Burnley this weekend.
The English defender arrived to plenty of fanfare last summer and performed exceptionally well in his first season on Merseyside under Carlo Ancelotti.
However, he is yet to make his Premier League bow under Rafa Benitez due to him being unavailable because of his isolation, but he could be starting this weekend against Burnley.
Coleman withdrew from the Republic of Ireland squad recently due to a hamstring injury and while it does not appear to be as serious as the Toffees staff once feared, per The Liverpool Echo, he may not be risked by Benitez.
Godfrey, who is a centre-back, had been deployed as a right-back on numerous occasions last season under Ancelotti.
He fared exceptionally well there and could be handed a similar role by Benitez against the Clarets.
While he may not be as free flowing in the final third as Coleman, the 23-year-old has enough about him to make him a good fit for that role.
He’s physical, has an engine on him, is a decent passer and has the ability to win the ball back higher up the pitch.
Still in the early stages of his career, if Godfrey is viewed as a full-back at Finch Farm, we won’t be surprised if he’s retrained to play the role full-time and eventually be Coleman’s long-term successor.
Even Chris Coleman is a huge fan of the player, stating last season that he has an “unbelievable appetite for football”. [The Focus]
Hopefully, we see some more of that against Burnley and in the weeks to come as he looks to cement himself as a regular in the first team.
In other Everton news, Agreement reached: Journo shares huge update on future of Toffees ace amid offer from Euro club
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