Sean Dyche must stick with James Garner despite Idrissa Gueye fitness boost for Everton
Idrissa Gueye looks set to return from his short injury spell when Everton face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday 21 October, but Sean Dyche must resist the temptation to start him and stick with James Garner.
Gueye has been Dyche’s preferred option in the middle of the park so far this season, featuring in seven of their opening eight games of the season before his injury ruled him out of the Bournemouth game.
The injury came with a silver lining as the duo of Garner and Amadou Onana proved its worth in the impressive 3-0 demolition of Bournemouth last time out, and they proved to Dyche they should be the starting pair.
Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas shared the news that Gueye was on the bench for Senegal last night, where the midfielder came on for the last 14 minutes of the game, proving his return to fitness, and talkSPORT has now listed the midfielder in their predicted line-up.
There are some positives to Gueye’s return for Dyche. His defensive ability has been proven this season, winning an average of 4.4 ground duels per game, while he is dribbled past just 0.6 times and he makes 2.3 tackles, solidifying the midfield. [Sofascore]
However, his lack of confidence and ability in possession had started to become a concern, leading to his side frequently losing the ball and inviting pressure from the opposition as he made an average of just 35.1 accurate passes per game. In his last three league games, the midfielder gave the ball away a combined 22 times.
Garner, meanwhile, has proven to be a bright spot in a poor start to the season for Everton. His move into the middle of the park has directly correlated with the side’s upturn in form, first proving his worth in the Carabao Cup clash with Aston Villa where he scored what eventually proved to be the winning goal.
Against Luton, he was moved wide once more, and the team lost the game. Then, the Bournemouth clash gave him an opportunity to start alongside Onana, which proved the perfect combination, as Garner bagged himself another goal.
His confidence in possession, bravery on the ball, and ability to bring his teammates into play were everything Everton had missed with Gueye, and Sean Dyche must now make sure he makes the most of Garner’s emergence.
In other Everton news, the club have been quoted a price in their chase for a new midfielder.