Rafa Benitez confirms Everton team news v Aston Villa
Rafa Benitez remained coy over the availability of Everton playmaker James Rodriguez during his press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa.
On Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who missed Monday’s 3-1 win over Burnley, Benitez said [via Everton YouTube]: “It’s what I said after the game, still we have to wait some weeks.
“We do not know exactly how many but he will not be able to play for two or three weeks.”
Rodriguez was also absent from the matchday squad at Goodison Park, and the Colombian is yet to make an appearance for the Blues this season.
“He’s training,” Benitez confirmed. “This kind of week when you play a game and have a game off in between it’s not easy to see how much much, it was the first training session and we will see tomorrow in another training session.
“But he’s training normally with the team.”
Benitez added: “We will decide how he’s doing [after the next training session, with regards to selection on Saturday].”
Bench for Rodriguez?
Everton face a tough trip to Birmingham this weekend as they take on Dean Smith’s Villains.
While the home side have not made a blistering start to the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, they are likely to welcome back some key players into their starting XI on Saturday.
Summer signing Leon Bailey is pushing for his first start since joining from Bayer Leverkusen while Bertrand Traore may also join him in attack.
Emiliano Buendia could also return from quarantine alongside shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez, meaning Villa are much changes from their defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
Everton are unlikely to make too many changes from Monday, particularly as options are limited in attack with Calvert-Lewin ruled out and Salomon Rondon building up fitness.
Rodriguez may be a fresh face on the bench, though, and could offer some creativity from the bench if the Blues come unstuck at Villa Park.
In other Everton news, Blues player reacts after Aston Villa star issues written apology.
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