Following Alex Iwobi’s display during the pre-season session, Coach Sean Dyche is milling the partnership of the Nigerian and James Garner as potential short-term options for the left of his Everton midfield.
First choice left winger Dwight McNeil will miss the start of the new season with ankle ligament damage while Arnaut Danjuma is also facing a race to be fit for the Premier League curtain raiser against Fulham next Saturday.
Both were absent in the win over Sporting, Everton’s final pre-season friendly. As a result, Iwobi played on the left and Garner on the right of a five man midfield. It was from the left that Iwobi, who enjoyed success as a creative force in the left central midfield role under Frank Lampard last season, made two of his side’s best chances on Saturday.
Iwobi crossed for Abdoulaye Doucoure to volley at Sporting keeper Antonio Adan in the first half, the keeper then recovering to block Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort from the rebound. In the second half he swung in a ball from the left that Neal Maupay glanced narrowly wide.
Asked about Iwobi’s performance on the left, Dyche said: “He’s played there before. Jimmy Garner as well, we’ll need a bit of flexibility from him. We’ve obviously lost Dwight for a bit, we’ll see how quickly he can return. Arnaut Danjuma is getting fit again – he’s got a knock but it’s nothing serious, he needs to get properly fit. We’re still trying to fast-track players into fitness without breaking them. Time is one of the hardest things, giving them enough to make sure they’re ready and can perform but not so much where their injury breaks.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
