Everton’s dismal Premier League run saw an improved display when they managed to hold Manchester United last week in their backyard. However, the Toffees had to pay a heavy price for it as their in-form winger Yanick Bolasie suffered a serious knee ligament injury.
The 27-year-old looked in agony in the second half after a clash with United’s Anthony Martial and was replaced by Enner Valencia. On Monday, after numerous scans, it was declared that he has suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage to the right knee. He will go under the knife in few days and a return date will soon be declared.
The Congo international was one of the few bright spots in Everton’s forward line and had an impactful performance. He has registered 4 assists for Everton so far scoring once in 13 appearances. Although Koeman’s replacement for Bolasie, Enner Valencia, was brilliant in the last thirty minutes and United found it very difficult to stop the forward, the Ecuador international is a centre forward and will find it difficult to adapt on the wings.
With Arsenal and Liverpool among the opponents in Everton’s next three fixtures, Koeman will have to find an ideal replacement for Bolasie and fast. FA Cup also starts next month and the Toffees also have a real chance of qualifying for the Europa League this season as most top teams are seen faltering.
T4O looks at 3 players who could replace the Congo winger at Everton-
Gerard Deulofeu
The Spaniard should be the ideal replacement at the moment and with the big games coming up in a span of few weeks, Koeman is expected to stick with him on the right wing despite the winger doing poorly this season. He has appeared 10 times this season with no goals or assists to his name so far.
His non-impactful display was the main reason for him to get benched and he should not waste this chance to prove his mettle.
Deulofeu, however, has shown sparks of brilliance at times. He has a shot accuracy of 60% this season with an average passing accuracy of 71%. He also wins 42% of his average duels, which points towards a hard-working forward.
