Amadou Onana makes injury fear admission at Everton ahead of World Cup
Amadou Onana has admitted that most Everton players are really scared of picking up an injury out of fear of missing the World Cup.
Onana has been a standout player for the Toffees this season following his £33.5million move in the summer, and the 21-year-old was rewarded for his form with a spot in the Belgium squad.
But while Onana is enjoying a magical breakthrough season with both club and country, he’s desperate to avoid injury this month.
Speaking with Belgian outlet RTBF, Onana admitted: “Everyone is afraid of injury. Every top athlete is afraid of injury because it’s a time when you can’t do what you love.
“Watching other people play from the bench is the worst thing. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to slow down. I’m going to go for it 100% and if something has to happen… well I hope not. “
Quality will drop
Onana isn’t the only player who will be thinking about taking it easy before the World Cup – he’s just one of the first to admit it.
Of course, Onana insisted that his effort levels won’t drop for Everton, but the entire quality of the Premier League will likely drop as players start to prepare for the world’s biggest tournament.
It’ll be a big worry for Frank Lampard to hear, and he’ll have Jimmy Garner and Tom Davies prepped and ready to replace Onana if he does sense a lack of effort in the coming weeks.
We’ve already seen a few Premier League players such as Reece James and Raphael Varane in tears in recent weeks as they see their World cup dream wash down the drain.
Evertonians will of course sympathise with players’ desperation to stay fit for the World Cup, but also the club needs maximum effort from every player and no one can afford to start slacking.