Southgate decides to rest Pickford after Benitez urged him to
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is set to be rested when England take on Andorra during Saturday’s World Cup qualifiers, according to The Athletic.
West Brom ace Sam Johnstone is in line to feature in the game, and Gareth Southgate’s decision to rest the Toffees man will please Rafa Benitez.
Pickford, 27, will return against Hungary on Tuesday as his recovery from a shoulder injury that ruled him out of two Everton games last month continues.
Benitez had pleaded with Southgate to rest the Three Lions’ first-choice against Andorra to manage his workload, and it seems that is now set to happen.
Boost
Pickford was unavailable during Everton’s games against Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers due to a shoulder problem, returning for the games Norwich City and Manchester United.
Benitez insisted last Friday ahead of the trip to Old Trafford that the Everton star is yet to fully recover from his shoulder complaint, and getting him much-needed rest is a huge boost.
Everton lost the two games that Pickford missed, and while there are no guarantees that they would have won had he played, they clearly need him available for every game given his quality.
He has helped the team to four wins and two draws so far in the Premier League, and Benitez could have preferred to keep him at Finch Farm during the break if he had his way.
Everton resume Premier League action with a clash against West Ham United, and having Pickford fully fit for the game will be perfect.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are in hunt for new coach after exit left void in key behind-the-scenes area.
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