Moyes could give forgotten man opportunity to save Everton career v Chelsea
David Moyes faces a big decision before Everton travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The Toffees are seeking to return to winning ways on the weekend (26 April) as they prepare to face a stuttering Chelsea side.
While there is little on the line for Everton going into the match, fans will still be expecting the club to end the season on a high.
However, Moyes suffered a blow at the weekend when James Tarkowski was forced off with an injury.
With it being clear that the defender cannot play against Chelsea, Moyes should steer clear of Michael Keane and instead take a risk on Jake O’Brien and Nathan Patterson.
David Moyes must take Nathan Patterson gamble against Chelsea
With Tarkowski out, many will assume that Keane is likely to be his replacement, however, there is a different avenue to be taken.
The former England international had an awful start to the season and was rightly dropped after the club’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton in November.
Since then, Keane has only played 40 minutes of Premier League football, 38 of which came in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend.
| Michael Keane’s Premier League season so far | Stats |
| Appearances | 11 |
| Clean sheets | 2 |
| Tackle success rate | 70 per cent |
| Blocked shots | 2 |
| Successful 50/50s | 0 |
Meanwhile, O’Brien has been largely excellent at right-back since Moyes’ appointment and has even found the back of the net twice.
This could lead to the Republic of Ireland international coming in at centre-back and Patterson taking his place at right-back.
Patterson has barely featured this season and has only made two Premier League starts.
However, given the unreliability of Keane, Everton’s forgotten man may be given a chance to shine once again for Moyes.
Tarkowski’s injury exposes Everton’s lack of depth
While Tarkowski picking up an injury is exceptionally rare, these things can happen in football.
While the injury will no doubt give some a chance to shine and prove themselves to Moyes, it also exposes the lack of quality options he has.
It is slightly fortunate that the injury occurred at the end of the season when Everton have nothing to play for or it could have been disastrous.
With the summer transfer window approaching, the club needs to rectify this issue and back Moyes, who could potentially return the club to Europe in the coming years.